As parents, we want to help our children develop good habits.  However, without realizing it, we sometimes fail to promote habits that are healthy.  Here is an idea that can help you replace the habit of eating favorite snacks that aren’t very healthy. Sharing a story and a snack is a wonderful way to spend time together as a family at the end of a long day. 

Plan ahead by selecting the book together and then brainstorming healthy snacks to go with it.  Make this late afternoon time a special event by preparing the snack together.  Parents and children can take turns describing the pictures or reading the pages as they enjoy their healthy snack together. 

To help you get started, I thought I would share a list of book and healthy snack pairings:

Read Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet.  Children ages 0-2 will enjoy this interactive book about shapes and colors that turn into animals.

Prepare Yellow Shapes. Cut out or purchase yellow cheese in a variety of shapes.  Point out the color yellow and/or shapes from the story that match the color and/or shape of the snacks you are enjoying together.

Bottles of hand sanitizer have become a fundamental item on back-to-school lists for children of all ages. Germs are a part of life, especially in public places like schools. This makes back-to-school a critical time to remind children of healthy hygiene habits. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the common cold causes 22 million lost school days annually. Here are several suggestions that will help your family develop practices that guard against the spread of germs:

Wash Hands. Make washing hands after being outside playing, before and after eating meals or snacks, and after using the restroom a routine in your home.

Sing Along. Hands need to be washed with soap for 20 to 25 seconds to kill germs.  Primrose teachers teach children rhymes like the one below to sing twice while washing their hands. We think you’ll find singing this rhyme to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus or making up one of your own is a fun way to help your child know how long to wash their hands.

This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands,
Wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands,
At our Primrose School.

Although it’s been many years since I had little ones to shop for, I still get excited when I go into stores this time of year and see all the back-to-school supplies on display.  Nothing smells better than the aroma that spills out of a new box of crayons.  Shopping for supplies can also help your child overcome back-to-school jitters. Children love picking out their very own markers, pencil boxes, and back packs.  However, just about everyone has become more budget conscious than in years past, so it doesn’t hurt to know ways to stretch back-to-school dollars and still make sure your children have what they need. Here are a few tips for having an economical and headache-free back-to-school shopping experience.

Check your inventory. Are there some items you purchased last year that still work?  Provide an incentive to your child to find as many supplies as possible that will be needed this year.  Getting to pick out a special pen or pad of paper when you shop can be very motivating.  Be sure to have an idea of what supplies you already possess and which ones truly need to be replenished.

Make a list and don’t stray from it!  Before your shopping adventure, sit down with your child to put together your master list.   Review the teacher’s list with your child and make sure your child has an opportunity to list a few additional items he or she would like.   Explain in advance that you will only purchase items that are on the agreed upon list. 

Look at ads from your local stores.  There are so many promotions this time of year that you can match items on your list to the store that’s offering the best deal.  Many have buy-one, get-one-free offers that help when you’re shopping for more than one child.  You can also take advantage of the promotions to stock pile items you know you’ll need throughout the year.