How to Get an Active Child Interested in School

Content provided by Janice

We all love it when our children are healthy. And there’s no better way for them to be healthy than by running around, taking part in activities and playing sports. But let’s face it – sometimes our kids can be a little too interested in sports for their own good. And this is never more apparent than when their love of being active starts to get in the way of their schoolwork.

Active Children Usually Do Better in School
If you have an active child, the good news is that they’re already being set up for academic success. Physical activity and academic performance have been conclusively linked in a study conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine. But this only applies to kids who engage in ‘vigorous’ activity, rather than the ‘moderate’ activity encouraged by school mandated PE sessions.

Keeping Your Child Focussed
What usually compels an active child to be less interested in school work is that they have more energy to burn off than other kids. This may be natural, or it may be down to the great food you’ve been feeding them. Either way, it’s important that this energy gets burned off in a productive way before sitting down to work. If homework is an issue, make sure to enrol your active child in an after-school activity which they can take part in before studying. If concentration is a problem in school, it might help to provide them with certain tools to help them enjoy school a little more, such as sports-themed pencil cases and book bags.

Understand the Role of Food
You’re probably already feeding your kids a great diet, but you may not be aware that you can actually use food to help your kids do better in school. Before school it’s all about consuming slow burning energy, so wholemeal toast, fresh fruit and high-fibre cereal should all be encouraged. If your child’s school doesn’t provide healthy lunches, packing a lunch is absolutely essential. Children’s concentrations tend to slack off in the afternoon, so giving them good food at lunchtime will help them to concentrate better.

Make it Sports Themed
For some children, their passion for outdoor activities simply overwhelms their motivation for learning and study. So one of the best tricks to get them interested in school is to make their work sports-themed. If they have a maths problem which they’re struggling with, reword it so it has some relation to a sporting activity. If they’re falling behind on history, try relating a historical event to a strategic game such as football.

How to Get an Active Child Interested in School

Essential Parenting Collection END SALE

The Essential Parenting collection sale is coming to an end. As an extra bonus for late buyers, my affiliate partner Mindful Nurturing has cut prices to 32$ and added three amazing bonuses!

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rock Out – A 34 page earth loving activity book by Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou. 
2. The Power of Oxytocin, an audio interview with Bryan Post and Susan Kutchinskas, authors of Oxytocin Parenting. 
3. Man And Woman And Child – free paperback print copy. 

To learn more about this book, please visit the Amazon listing.

Aside from these new additions, there are still 35 amazing titles in this collection, including my eBook The Postpartum Herbal Guide. The collection will guide your through the topics Pregnancy and Birth, Child Development, Parenting the Early Years, Mindful Guidance and Resources for Parents.
Individual mini bundles are still available separately.

Sale Ends April 26, now with the price reduced from $49.97 to just $32! Check it out!

Essential Parenting Collection END SALE

Natural Gifts for NewBorn Babies

Content provided by Janice

We all know that natural is better, but when it comes to new born babies, keeping things organic is
especially important. Babies have skin that is thinner and more delicate than ours, which means that it is highly sensitive to chemicals that are found in most preserved, non-organic products. They also need all the help and comfort they can get in adapting to their new environment. Whether it’s your own baby or for someone you know, here are a few gift ideas that can give the very best care.

Baby Bath Time
Babies seldom get very dirty (apart from in their nappies!) but giving them baths is more for relaxation and refreshment. Try getting pure ‘hydrosols’ that are water soluble extracts of healing and aromatic plants distilled by steam. Accompany them with an organic cotton wash cloth to apply the oils with. For moisturiser, always stick to pure ingredients like Calendula, Shea Butter or Coconut Oil that are universally healing and harmless for the skin.

Baby Bedding Bundles
If the family uses a crib, bedding can be a great idea for a gift. Babies can go through quite an amount of bedding! When it comes to bedding, stick to organic materials like cotton and bamboo that are less irritating on the skin. For a bedding bundle include blankets, throws, cushioning for the crib as well as any decorative crib toys and accessories. Stick to light and soft colours like the ones you can find at Lollipop Lane Limited and pick up some healing music to calm baby and soothe them to sleep.

Baby Changing
Changing the baby’s nappy will soon become a well-practiced routine. Even then, you never know what they will surprise you with. Help parents be prepared with organic nappies that are crystalline and AGM free as well as natural baby wipes that you can make yourself using paper towels and your own blend of hydrosol and a few drops of witch hazel.

Don’t Forget About Mum
Mothers can often feel left out on all the attention and love that baby gets when she should be getting essential care too for giving birth. Splash out on an all-natural, organic basket full for pampering goodies. All she needs to do now is take time out to enjoy it!

Give your baby or a baby you know, the very best start in life by giving them nature’s best. Don’t rely on the abundance of products too much but be sure to spend quality time massaging, playing, talking to and singing to your baby so that you surround them not only with nature, but your love too.

Natural Gifts for NewBorn Babies

Sunday Surf: Foraging

Foraging

• I love foraging! It connects you with nature and there's such an ancient familiarity to it... Probably one of the easiest plants to forage is dandelion. It grows just about anywhere and we can all recognise it, so I was very excited when I read Little Owl Crunchy Momma's roundup post on Dandelion. I'll surely use some of these tips and recipes when I'm back in Belgium.
• Before foraging for anything, make sure you know the rules. As a respectful forager, you should also be a conservationist (on Diary of a First Child)
• Yarrow omelettes and tea on Diary of a First Child
• Wildcraft your salad on Little Owl Crunchy Momma
• Foraging for Teas on Oh the Things We'll Make
• Uses for Bay Leaves on Fresh Bites Daily

Sunday Surf: Foraging