BY DR. LISA GOODMAN, DC, CCSP, CACCP
Now that we’ve had a few weeks to get back into the school routine and sports have sprung up for many families, now is great time to take a step back and see if there is any way we can make our lives easier! Simply having the routine of kids in school five days a week is a great starting point. This routine can be rather easily expanded on to make your days run smoother. Rather than frantically finishing homework the morning it is due, struggling to get kids dressed in time for breakfast and wondering how to get all of your kids to their sports practices on the same night – check out a few of these family efficiency tips.
Getting the kids To and From Practice – There’s an App for That!
Unfortunately we cannot Uber our kids to their sports practices (yet!) So this is a good time to remember that “It takes a village.” Be sure to engage other parents on your kids’ sports teams to carpool! Carpooling is a great way to save time, but it also lets the kids chatter away in the backseat with a few friends about practice, the game, or school (and if mom or dad listen in you can gain some great insight into what the kids are interested in and up to socially). PS – there IS an App for this! Carpool-Kids is a great way to coordinate who needs a ride and who’s available to drive without an endless group text string!
Homework Planning
Setting our kids up with good homework habits now will avoid raising procrastinators later! In the spirit of efficiency, try this. 1. Do homework on the night it is assigned right after school (or the very next morning if you will have time before school) Don’t do it right before bed, best to be awake and engaged. 2. Set a timer for 15 minutes, work hard, distraction free until it goes off and then put everything aside for 5 minutes (stretch, walk around, fill a water bottle) then resume until homework is complete.
Prepare the Night Before
Kids are tired when they wake up in the morning! The last thing they want to do is choose clothes, pack their lunch and backpack all before racing out the door for school. Do what you can the night before. Have your kids help you pack their lunch and snacks (or have them do it themselves) the night before school. Book bags and homework should also be packed up and ready to go. In winter months, have hats/mittens/coats set out for the next morning. Part of their bedtime routine can include laying out clothes for the next day. If you are feeling really ambitious, you might also be able to prepare breakfast the night before! That way, they wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast and head out without any delays.
School Sports Physicals in Wash Park
Most families head to the pediatrician to get their annual sports physical. Did you know that you can also get a Pre-participation physical right here in the neighborhood? Washington Park Chiropractic specializes in sports and pediatrics and all of their doctors are certified by the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) through the Colorado Chiropractic Association. One major benefit of having a Doctor of Chiropractic perform your child’s sports physical is the complete and thorough mobility and strength assessment which ensures that they are in the right sport and are preparing / training the best way they can to avoid injury.
Remember that the keys to being efficient as school is starting are to ask for help, create and stick to a routine and think outside the box!