School Family

Sometimes parent involvement doesn’t have to be that complicated.  Example: finding a way to make sure your child has breakfast before school is a fundamental step that all parents can take.

We’ve been sayig it for years with articles like this one on school morning habits. But, if you’re one of those who needs more proof, the National Institute of Health just released a study that makes the breakfast case crystal clear.

As you might expect the NIH doc is a bit dense, but here’s the most relevant finding:

Children who start the day with breakfast consume more vitamins, minerals, and kilocalories than those who do not eat breakfast1^,2 and have a better overall diet as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI).3 In addition, children commit fewer errors on psychological tests on days when they eat breakfast compared with days when they skip breakfast.4 The School Breakfast Program (SBP) was started to “help contribute to the adequate nutrient intake of children and to ensure that they did not begin their school day hungry.”5 The SBP began in 1966 as a pilot project through the Child Nutrition Act and became permanent in 1975 through amendments to the Act.5 Currently, the SBP is available in more than 72 000 schools nationwide.6 In 1975, approximately 1.8 million children participated in the SBP; by 2000, that number increased to approximately 7.5 million.6 Data from some studies suggest that children who participate in the SBP have increased total dietary intake4; improved test scores,4 math grades,7 and attendance rates4^,7; and decreased tardiness rates.4^,7 According to data analyzed from the 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, children in low-income households who ate school breakfast had significantly higher HEI scores than children who ate breakfast at home or elsewhere and children who did not eat breakfast.3

Cereal and milk counts. Frozen waffles and some juice counts. We’re not talking about four-course eggs benedict here.  We can do this.

Kind of ironic that I’m writing about this, considering the fact that I desperately need “Time Management for Tim”, but this morning routine/time management for kids blog from the San Francisco Chronicle really sucked me in.

We’ve gone from 2 kids to 3 kids in school this year, and I still haven’t accurately factored in extra time for one more sandwich and one more snack and two more shoes to be tied and 6 more missing notebooks and 14 more forms that I need to sign each morning.  For our night-owl family, the goal seems to be to wake up as late as possible while still getting the key morning steps accomplished without being too insane and still making the bus 9 times out of 10.  That too much to ask?

We’re getting there, but it’s a work in progress.   How about you?  And what are your best tricks of the trade?