Good Evening,
This week is Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is thought to be the catalyst to educate all youth about staying drug free. Since 1985, the Red Ribbon campaign has reached millions of US children and families. At Robinson, we focus on promoting healthy choices during Red Ribbon Week. We know that childhood experiences and habits lay the foundation for our adult years. We hope that by promoting healthy behaviors at this age, our children can thrive. We will have a different theme each day this week to celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Monday we will kick off the week by wearing RED!
In addition to the daily themes, each day this week your children will be hearing a healthy choice message. The messages will include these five areas:
1) Get active each day:
- Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and wellbeing of children.
- Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make them ‘huff and puff’.
- Try to include activities that strengthen muscles and bones.
- Parents and other caring adults can be good role models and can promote a positive attitude toward being active.
2) Choose water as a drink and eat more fruits and vegetables:
- Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in fruit juices, soft drinks and other sweetened drinks.
- Give children whole fruit to eat, rather than offering fruit juices that have a lot of sugar.
- Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps children grow and develop, boosts their immune system, and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
3) Switch off the screen and get active:
- With Covid-19 and online learning, this is an even bigger challenge.
- Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games has been linked to kids becoming overweight or obese.
- Break up long periods of screen time as often as possible, even when your student is an online learner. Try to build in regular stretch and movement breaks.
- Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to watching TV or playing on an iPad, electronic game, or a computer.
4) Spend time interacting with others:
- Children thrive by spending time with caring adults, their siblings, and their friends.
- When children play or interact with their peers, they are learning more about social behavior, including how to express themselves, how to take turns, and how to apply empathy when dealing with others. While this has been difficult during Covid-19, you can find creative ways to interact with others while socially distancing.
5) Select healthier snack alternatives:
- Healthy snacks help children meet their daily nutritional needs.
- Snacks that include fruits and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products, and whole grains are the healthiest choices.
- Avoid snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fats – such as chips, cakes and chocolate – which can cause children to put on excess weight.
To read the rest of the Counselor's Newsletter, click here.
