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Make sure your children, and you, read regularly. Reading improves your vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. It grows and develops brain pathways which is vital for growth and development.

Nearing the end of Term 1 of 2021 and I strongly suspect that cracks are starting to show : Fatigue, Wear 'n Tear - for parents and also students, who not only had an extremely long summer vacation but are having to settle into a more settled and secure school routine, compared to last year.

I found this article by NATURE.COM interesting and so relevant to what many students (and parents) may be experiencing at this early stage in the school year.

Have a read, share it with your children.
Read it with them, and help them understand that what they may be experiencing is not a bad thing. Struggling and finding tasks difficult or cumbersome is part of the learning process.

Encourage them to implement some of the recommended strategies, and help them to see the long term benefits therein. 🧐

Tips from neuroscience to keep you focused on hard tasks Understanding cognitive control can help your working life, says David Badre.

This is a great tool for students and parents of students who may not know what they want to do once they leave school. Even if they do know, there is information that could be useful.

It has many links so don't get lost but do go through this, perhaps with your child, and see how your child could benefit from the information provided.

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Fact.

Need to check if your children understand a concept or remember an event?
Get them to tell you about it without mmmm's and aaaaahhhh's.

Their facial expressions should tell you anyway. 🤔

Study Tips to Improve your Studying and Retain more of the Information:

| PART 1 |

#1 STOP Multitasking🚫

Research has shown that when switching between "tasks" it could take 5-20 minutes to regain your focus.

The brain cannot split its resources between two cognitive tasks and still maintain optimal performance.

So FOCUS on one task at a time for optimal cognitive benefit and maximum retention and comprehension.

#2 Avoid DISTRACTIONS📢📴

Similar principle to #1 above. Everytime your mobile rings or you check a notification, you break your focus/ concentration.

Find a quiet place to study; stick a note on your door.

Maintain FOCUS for best results. 💯

Are you looking after your HEALTH during periods of forced Isolationd and Lockdown?

Lockdown and MUSCLE ATROPHY

'Muscle atrophy is when muscles waste away. It’s usually caused by a lack of physical activity.'
(healthline.com)
The onset of muscle atrophy is especially relevant to children, and adults, who are usually very active but suddenly have to adapt to a more docile lifestyle for extended periods, such as periods of isolation and lockdown as currently being experienced globally.

Disuse Atrophy is one of a number of types of Atrophy and is the type one needs to be particularly aware of during times of social enforced lockdown.

DA can occur in as little as 72hours. During this process, your body doesn't only lose muscle mass, it also changes the type of muscle you have.

You may be thinking that your child is quite active and moves around a lot, maybe too much 🙂
What you need to look out for though, is how active they are NOW (during lockdown) compared to a normal day or week. Also important is the type of activities they are engaged in NOW compared to their usual activities.

It is very easy to slip into a habit of becoming lazy, slouching in front of the TV, or playing games all day. For parents it is easy to allow this to happen as it keeps the kids 'busy' and keeps them quiet. I am not judging here, merely an observation.

When the time comes to go back to our 'usual activities' you may find that your child will be a bit reluctant, less enthusiastic and you will find they tire quicker. This will likely be due to physical and mental decline.

So, to avoid the onset of muscle atrophy, ensure that you and your loved ones keep moving. You can find tons of exercises online, which are ideal for in-home use or in your backyard or even on your balcony.

Make sure to include strength and resistance exercises in your workouts.

At this time, it is important to remember that a decrease in physical activity will probably impact on your, and your child's cognitive function and mental health. When the body shuts down physically, the brain interprets this as a problem and slows down to compensate, and allow for all 'resources' to be directed to the body.

Keeping PHYSICALLY fit is thus vital for you and your family to remain mentally healthy and to maintain optimal cognitive functionality.

# # Some basic tips to get you started/ keep you going # #

*Setting up a routine at times like these make it easier to adapt.
It also helps with motivation.

* Exercising with a partner is more fun.👯

* Assign each person an accountability buddy🔎.

* Provide incentives for the young ones.
Make it competitive.🏆

* Have ONLINE 📲challenges with your friends, other families.

* Set up a circuit with "exercise stations" around the house. e.g. push ups and sit ups/ crunches in the lounge; (couches are great for holding your feet on the ground during situps😉); burpees in the kitchen etc

*Have family workout sessions 👨‍👦‍👦using the circuit

*Allow 1-3 minutes per exercise, depending on fitness levels. ⏳

The Key Points to remember:

Keep Moving
Make S**t Up
Make it Fun

😷💪🥱🦾🦿🧘🧑‍🦽🧎🤸🏋️🤹🏆🥊🥋🏓

Grab your FREE parent checklist! >>>> 7 steps to boost academic performance even during school closures.