+

Healthy Habits

A guide for your middle schooler!

+Healthy Habits

What are 10 things that you think are Healthy Habits necessary for adolescents?

+Video – Wear Sunscreen

+

What are three things from the Video that you would like your teen to practice?

(Parents of female students on the left and parents of male students on the right)

+

10 Healthy Habits From the Counselors

+Healthy Habit #1Eating a balanced diet Importance of breakfast

Dont skip meals

Moderation-cookies and candy are okay!

Brain food Omega 3 Fish

Monitoring weight School nurse Yearly physicals

Drink water

Consume dairy products

+Healthy Habit #2Getting enough sleep Adolescents need an average of 8.5-10 hours of sleep/night.

Stay away from caffeine (which is a stimulant) after noon.

Avoid heavy studying or computer games before bed.

Avoid arguing with your adolescent just before bedtime.

Avoid trying to sleep with a computer or TV flickering in the room.

Avoid bright light in the evening, but open blinds or turn on lights as soon as the morning alarm goes off to aid awakening.

Let them sleep in on the weekend, but no more than 2 or 3 hours later than their usual awakening time or it will disrupt their body clock.

+Healthy Habit #3Making positive social connections Recognize that peer pressure can be good or bad.

Get to know your child’s friends

Get to know the parent’s of your child’s friends

Provide your child with some unstructured time to hang out in a safe place with their friends.

Talk with your child about friends, about friendship and about making choices.

Teach your child how to get out of a bad situation

Model good friendships

+Healthy Habit #4Exercise According to the CDC, more than 60% of Americans do

not get regular exercise.

Daily exercise Helps control weight Maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints Reduces risks of high blood pressure and diabetes Promotes psychological well-being

Exercise has immediate benefits including helping people to think better, manage stress, improve mood and get an energy boost.

Example: Take a daily walk after dinner (great time to talk to your child!)

+Healthy Habit #5Good Hygiene Body odor

Daily washing-soap and shampoo Deodorant

Nails Clean and trimmed by themselves!

Skin Show your child how to wash their face Use of facial cleansers for those prone to acne

Teeth 2 minutes-timed brushes are great! Visits to the dentist

+Healthy Habit #6Protect your skin

Wash face every night before bed (remove makeup if applied)

Replace soda with water

Apply sunscreen when going out in the sun

Eat fatty/greasy foods in moderation

Do not pick or pop pimples

Use a moisturizer on face/body

+Healthy Habit #7Hobbies/Interests

“A pursuit outside one’s regular occupation (student) engaged in especially for relaxation”

Encourage your child to take healthy risks and explore areas of interest outside of academics Sports Art Drama Music Clubs Community Service

+Healthy Habit #8Goal Setting Goal setting helps teens set priorities

Goal setting gives teens a sense of the big picture

Goal setting helps teens turn their dreams into reality

Goal setting helps teens recognize their own abilities

Goal setting provides teens with inspiration

Goal setting helps teens organize their time

Goal setting gives teens a sense of ownership

Goal setting builds self-image

Goal setting requires action steps

+Healthy Habit #9Self-Image

Spend more time praising rather than criticizing

Role model

Helping them with their “inner critic”

View mistakes as learning opportunities

Aim for accomplishment (follow through), rather than perfection.

Have fun!

+Healthy Habit #10Planning/Organization

Help monitor agendas/binders

Create a family calendar of events

Provide a quiet place for studying

Check communication tools

Plan ahead

Routines!

+How to support your child’s healthy habits!

Role model

Set realistic/achievable goals.

Talk to your child about the importance of all habits.

+

Discuss one healthy habit that you feel like your family does well, and one healthy habit that you think your family can focus on improving

(make sure there is one parent from each grade level at all tables)

+

Lets hear from our Physical Education Department

+Exit Ticket

As you leave, please use the note cards on the table to share one thing that you will take away from our discussion today.

On the back of the note card please let us know what topics you would like to see for our future counselor coffee’s.