Y3K Tutor In Your Home | Brookline, Dover, Natick, Needham, Newton, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston areas

Offering choices for healthy snacks allow kids to feel like they are making decisions. For example having a child choose between a banana, apple, carrot, or celery empowers them while at the same time allows the parent to be in control of the healthy options.

Studies suggest that medications for treatment of ADHD may increase risk of sudden cardiac death in children. Various medical associations recommend that children be screened for heart problems before starting these types of drugs. In fact it has been reported to us by a family we tutor that her son had to go off Ritalin immediately due to his heart racing for no apparent reason.

Some kids have difficulty falling asleep when the room is too warm. Keeping the body cool slows down all of the metabolic processes. Try lowering the temperature of the room if your child has insomnia.

Sometimes insomnia can be from asthma and allergies. If your child has difficulty sleeping due to these, the underlying cause may be dust mites living in the mattress. You may try a mite resistant casing for your child’s bed and pillow.

The blue light glow from a TV, computer, cell phone, or digital clock may be keeping your child awake. The blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin (a sleep promoting hormone). If your child has insomnia, have them read a book rather than watch TV or use the computer before bed. Also try covering up digital clocks if their light is blue colored. You may also want to replace the bedtime reading light with an orange light bulb. It’s glow lets you read or relax without actively inhibiting melatonin.

Children that get too little sleep from insomnia may suffer from health and academic problems. Over the next several posts, we will give you tips on how to help your child fall asleep.

Students should avoid coffee. Studies have shown that young people are more likely to suffer from caffeine’s adverse effects like insomnia, headaches and elevated blood pressure. High doses of caffeine are bad for bone health at a crucial time for building the skeleton.

Bisphenol A otherwise known as BPA is a chemical that has been linked to the potential development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and ADHD. There are certain precautions that can be taken to protect children from the potential hazards of BPA. Avoid microwaving polycarbonate plastic food containers. Over time they may break down at high temperatures and release the chemical into your child’s food. The containers with bisphenol A usually have a #7 on the bottom. Always use baby bottles that are BPA free. Also use glass or ceramic containers for hot foods and liquids whenever possible.

If a student has recently received a concussion, it is important to practice “cognitive rest”. This is avoiding mentally taxing activities. It is also critical to take a break from sports and other activities that could lead to another concussion.

For many kids with a concussion, the only treatment needed is rest. A concussion disrupts the normally slow traffic of salts in and out of brain cells. During the injury, salts pour into cells, and it takes the body time to restore the balance back to normal.