How Do My Child's Lifestyle Choices Affect Their Education?

Many of the decisions children make, both consciously and unconsciously, can affect their education. For example, choosing to sleep later can affect their energy levels at school and ability to concentrate. Longer term this can lead to sleep deprivation. There’s also diet to think about. What children eat can affect how they behave in class, and their ability to retain information. If you’d like to learn more about the lifestyle choices that can hinder your child’s ability to learn and perform in class, take a look at the guidance below from a private school in London.

Sleep

Going back to sleep, it recharges the body and is particularly important for children as it helps with mental, physical, social, and emotional development. A lack of it can make children irritable which can affect their behaviour in class. Although it depends on age, children should aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Diet

As food provides fuel for the day, consuming a poor diet can really limit children with regards to school. They require nutritious food that will keep them full and energised. As a parent, you should plan your child’s meals with this in mind, including school lunch. 

Be Mindful of Their Sugar Consumption

Sugar is great for short bursts of energy, however, therein lies the problem. Children can become hyperactive from too much sugar in their diet, and it can affect their behaviour at school. It’s also common to experience a “crash” after the sudden spike in energy which can make them feel lethargic for the rest of the day. So, while sugary foods are tasty and your child will want them, try and reduce the sugar they consume.

Screentime

How they spend their free time can also influence their education. Devices can be addictive, and if your child spends all of their time playing video games and endlessly scrolling on social media, they will find it difficult to manage their priorities, like homework that is expected of them. You can help your child to manage their time effectively by putting limits in place and adding restrictions to their devices. This will ensure that they actually stick to them and don’t procrastinate.

To conclude, a good routine can help children to thrive at school. While you will need to be tough, going to sleep at the right time, and consuming a healthy diet, etc will make school easier and help create healthy habits for the future.