If you are a working parent like me, then you know well the challenges of keeping a routine, especially after a long holiday break, a few snow days, fog delays… keeping yourself and your kids in a schedule is sometimes a real challenge! While we can’t always predict what will come our way in the morning, late start, no start to school, what we can do to help each of us feel refreshed is to make sure we keep close to a few of these suggestions…
- Set a regular bed time and stick to it! I say this also as a reminder to myself!
- Be sure to have an earlier dinner and limit bedtime and tv time snacks… the biggest reason? Food gives you fuel, and fuel is not what you need right before bed!
- Drink water! Bring water to bed with you, and drink at least 16oz before the light goes out.
- Avoid work, checking email, or even facebook or pinterest just before lights out too (mom… dad…) This prevents your brain from settling down, and if you’re thinking about your to do list, then you’re not getting ready for sleep!
- On those nights when it’s tough to get the brain to slow down, one of my tried and trues is (now, don’t laugh), pick a point in your room to stare at… with the lights out, maybe a spot on your window… but stare at it, and if your mind begins to wander, pull it back and just stare at that spot in the dark… training your brain to be quiet will help the rest of you also quiet down.
Now that I’ve written these reminders for the both of us, it looks like for the next several weeks at least, there are no scheduled school days off, any *maybe* we will be able to get back into that routine, that is the most healthy way to well… stay healthy!!
I’ll see you on the radio! Monday through Friday 10am to 2pm on 96.7 also featuring the Classic Lunch from 12 to 1pm.