Five Things You Can Do (Starting Now!) to Boost Your Child’s Brain

New Year’s resolutions are all well and good, but I for one don’t really have the energy to start new lifestyle commitments right after the holidays. This first full week of fall is a different story – I’m inspired by the cooler nights, back-to-school routines and fresh-off-the-tree apples.

And I don’t think I’m the only one – during the past week my inbox has been full of great ideas for enriching our children’s lives. Here, in no particular order, are five ideas to get you started.

1. Plan dinner at home for Family Day tomorrow, Sept. 27 – Eating together as a family is an effective way to keep kids from using drugs and alcohol. Teens who have dinner with their families fewer than three times per week are twice as likely to have smoked cigarettes, nearly twice as likely to drink alcohol, and one and a half times as likely to have used marijuana. Thanks to recent advances in MRI technology, we now know that brain development continues until kids reach their 20s – and because alcohol and marijuana affect the way the brain works, scientists are learning more about their potential long-term negative impacts when used by teens.

You can find out about other benefits of family dinners in this report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York.

2. Take your kids outside – Yes, the summer was hot, and we were among the families who took refuge indoors in front of the a.c. But now that fall is here, I am all about getting back outside, especially in light of the National Wildlife Federation’s report last month about ways nature benefits the whole child. Some of these are preventive (obesity, ADHD) while others promote brain skills (creativity, problem-solving and concentration).

The kids section of the NWF homepage lists dozens of initiatives and ideas for getting kids active in nature, including the National Day of Play (yesterday, Sept. 25) and the Green Hour (60 minutes of unstructured play in a natural setting).

3. Sign your baby or toddler up for a Parents as Teachers program – Despite the rumors, this brain development-based program for preschoolers hasn’t gone away completely, though some local school districts have cut back on staff or are charging for visits and social events that used to be free. But there are many programs seeking out families to participate – a few days ago the Ferguson-Florissant coordinator e-mailed that her program has funding for the same number of families it served last year, but recent publicity about budget cuts (like this story in the Post) has hurt its recruitment efforts.

To find your local contact, call your school district’s main office or the Parents as Teachers National Center at 314-432-4330.

4. Catch up on sleep (you AND your kids) – Preschoolers who get more sleep have better language, early reading and early math skills. There are similar research findings for older children –and adults – as well. Poor sleep is also linked to health problems like obesity, heart disease, depression, irritability, and reduced memory.

You can find general guidelines about how much sleep kids need here. Once you know how much your child needs, work backward from the time they need to wake up for school. Set the time you want them to be asleep, then plan a bedtime routine that includes calm activities like books, a bath, tooth-brushing and perhaps a light snack. Keep TVs and computers out of kids’ bedrooms (or if they have them already, make sure they’re off before it’s time for lights out).

5. Touch base with your child’s school – Parent involvement with children’s schools, teachers, homework and out-of-class activities is strongly linked to educational success. Most parents do a pretty good job in the early years, but they tend to become less involved during the middle school years. While your child may not appreciate seeing your smiling face in the classroom every day, there are many other ways to show how important school is to you: asking about homework, serving on a committee, attending conferences or donating supplies.

The Harvard Family Research Project has detailed information about the effects of parent involvement, and the Project Appleseed homepage offers suggestions for volunteering – perhaps one of them will spark your interest, and when National Parental Involvement Day rolls around on Nov. 18, you’ll be ahead of the game.

By Amy De La Hunt, Health Blogger for SmartParenting