How Do My Child’s Lifestyle Choices Affect their Education?

The choices that we make all shape our lives in one way or another, and there are lots of underlying issues that can affect children at school, like lack of sleep and a poor diet. The big one is sleep and of course, with a lack of it your child will find it difficult to concentrate at school and retain information.

While it sounds easy, we know that in practice it can be quite challenging to put young children to bed as all they want to do is play. To get them to sleep with minimal fuss, introduce storytime to their bedtime routine. Children love a good story, and it can help them to unwind before bed and drift off to sleep.

To help you implement a good routine and give your child the best start to the day, here is some guidance that a private school in Dublin put together for parents.

The Food That They Eat

After sleep, the next big issue to tackle is your child’s diet. We are what we eat and food powers our bodies for the day. If they fill up on nutrient-poor, sugary junk food, it will affect their concentration at school. Foods that are high in sugar create a “crash”.

While initially, they will make your child feel energised, shortly after they will experience an energy crash and feel lethargic throughout the day. Instead, opt for a wholesome breakfast and snacks that they can graze on throughout the day like nutritious cereal bars, yoghurt bars and fruit.

Screentime

Another lifestyle choice that can affect their education is screentime. Devices (in particular their social media and gaming apps) can be highly addictive. This can eat into their study time and progress at school.

In cases of excessive use, it can even affect children with regards to their cognitive development. To manage screen time effectively, there are app restrictions that can be put in place in the settings of their devices.

Once their allotted time is up, they will be blocked from accessing them.

Their Circle of Friends

They say, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. Your child’s social circle and who they hang around with can influence their attitudes and motivations towards school. While you can’t tell them who not to be friends with, you can teach your child what good friends and influences look like.