The Well-Being Check-In: Physical/Habitual With a few weeks of school under your belt, now is a good time to gauge your child’s or teen’s physical health and determine if they’re starting the academic year off with good habits. Don’t worry if there are still some speed bumps in this transitional time. You can always make tweaks to bedtimes, homework routines, and lunches. For now, just focus on listening to your student as they share with you and, of course, providing plenty of love and support! LearningRx, the world’s largest personal brain training company, has put together a simple guide to help parents better understand what’s working (and what’s not) now that school is underway. We’ve included some useful tips, sample questions to ask your student, and resources to make changes when necessary. What to know: Study habits, quality and quantity of sleep, nutrition, organization, physical health, and time management can all play a role in a student’s success, sometimes it’s difficult to determine where to put your efforts. Sometimes, there are visual clues that a child’s routines aren’t quite up to par with what they need to succeed academically. For example, if you’re regularly having difficulty getting them out of bed in the morning or they’re falling asleep on the bus ride home, they make need an earlier bedtime or more soothing bedtime routine. Additionally, with some states now offering ALL students free lunch, the lines may be so long that some students skip eating. This may translate into a ravenous appetite after school. Observation and listening can both serve as helpful tools to determine what modifications you need to make to help your student thrive at school. What to ask: Choose a tone that reflects curiosity or playful banter and ask open-ended questions to gauge your student’s experience and feelings on topics like socializing, friendships, confidence, and comfort. Consider asking these questions in a relaxed setting where you can read facial expressions and/or body language, such as during the family dinner or while on a walk. 1. Do you usually feel tired or well rested at school? 2. Are you hungry at any point in the day? 3. Is there specific homework that you avoid until the last minute? 4. How long does homework normally take? 5. Do you have any time in school to ask teachers questions or get help? 6. Do you have all the school supplies you need to complete your homework? 7. Do you usually arrive to class on time and prepared? Where to learn more: WebMD offers tips on both quantity and quality of sleep for children and teens here: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/recharge/features/kids-sleep-tips