Start the school year off right

It’s back-to-school time again, and for many families, it can be difficult to get back into the swing of school, homework, packing lunches, and earlier bed times. Here are some tips from experts to make the coming weeks easier for you and your children:

Offer a healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks. Studies show numerous benefits for children who eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the school year. Consider taking your children shopping with you and allow them to choose from several different healthy snacks.

Help them get enough sleep. Kids who don’t get enough sleep aren’t any fun to be around. But more importantly, they often don’t perform as well at school. Enforcing a suitable bedtime is important, of course. But it’s also important to watch what children do in the hours before they are expected to fall asleep. Quiet activities and reading are great ways to get children ready to sleep. Remember that the light from electronic screens — whether a TV, computer, phone or tablet — can make it more difficult for kids to snooze.

Provide a safety reminder. It’s a great time of the year to have a talk with your children about staying safe on the way to and from school, while at school, and while they are online.

Check that backpack every day. If you have younger children, it’s always a good idea to check their backpack every day. Teachers often send home notices and notes that can be missed. This is especially true at the beginning of the year!

Check their gear. Check the fit of backpacks and make sure they aren’t too heavy. Poorly fitting and stuffed backpacks can cause back, neck or shoulder pain. As a general rule, children should carry no more than 10 percent to 15 percent of their body weight.