TUCSON, Ariz. — The Tucson Unified School District starts back up one week from July 25th, so doctor said now is more important than ever to get your kids back into a routine.
Getting a child into a back to school routine starts with the three pillars: balanced diet, exercise and sleep.
A balanced diet means eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, good fats and dairy products. Doctors said a child should have at least 20 minutes of exercise a day or more a day. Also, making sure they start going to bed earlier now, so they can get enough sleep for school.
To get kids to actually stick to the pillars, Pediatric Endocrinology Doctor at Tucson Medical Center Priti Patel said in order to get kids to stick to the routine, it's important to be a model to them.
"If you look at these three pillars, and get a balance of these three pillars, in whatever way works for the whole family, and make it a family change, so the child doesn't feel that it is just part of there change, make it a whole family change," Patel said.
She said different ways to do that is by scheduling a 30 minute walk after school with them or take them grocery shopping, so they feel like they're part of the planning process.
The better model a parent can be to their child, the better success the child will have at stick to the routine, which ultimately helps them do better in school, she said.
