My daughter is 11 years old and is an extroverted, creative, loving, sensitive, deep person. Because of these qualities, she was eaten alive in school. Was constantly being misunderstood by most of her teachers and peers. Being in a class room with sometimes up to 40 children (some grades) was really stressful and overwhelming for her. She would be stuck with teachers who were burnt out and frustrated because of there work environment. Dealing with a loud, distracting atmosphere in the classroom, poor food choices for lunch, ONLY 10 min for recess, and then sent home with a significant amount of homework, and then to have just enough time for a little free-time, and then off to bed to start the cycle again.

Needless to say my daughter started acting out in school and wasn’t her normally happy self. After a pretty heavy conversation with my daughter one evening, I decided we needed to make a BIG change. For us, it was putting my daughter in home school. Fortunately my schedule allowed it for me to have that option. Also, I wanted to show my daughter that her concerns and stress mattered to me, and her voice was being heard.

Something that I want everyone to learn, is that you have the power to say “enough.” It’s ok to take a timeout for yourself. There are times in our lives where we need a change, whether it’s a big or small change, sometimes we just need it for our sanity.  Same goes for our children. We need to start teaching our kids at an early age that their mental and physical health is a priority, especially our preteen/teenagers.

If you take anything from this article, please take the knowledge that you are not alone in this stage of parenting. That we will get through this “3rd level of hell” called “puberty” together. Before we know it, our children will be in their 30’s and they will be telling us that they love us again lol. Till then, us parents (especially Mom’s) need to stick together! It’s all about survival! I hope this blog will be a tool for you to use when you feel like grabbing a big bottle of whiskey, sit in the corner, and implode in…3…2…1.

Look at the foundation.

The main reason why I wanted to write this blog is to bring attention to the fact that there is a healthier and happier approach to helping our children through their adolescence.  I want to encourage a type of lifestyle that is enjoyable for families to do together. I feel that the nutritional advice for children is deplorable and needs to be addressed and stopped. The foods in schools today are disgusting and are extremely estrogenic and inflammatory, so by the time our child  is going through puberty their hormones are all over the place,

As parents we need to make a strong healthy foundation for our children. I think looking at our society as the example of what ” not to do” is a good start. We live in a culture that encourages an isolated, high stress, low activity, undernourished, type of  lifestyle. Our children get hit with this way of living starting in grade school. They are glued onto their iPads and game systems, spend most of their days inside, and eat highly processed foods laced with chemicals that their young developing brains can’t process. As a result, children today are angry, depressed, and now have a high rate of suicide. At an early age they end up being diagnosed with behavioral issues, and then put on different medications that they may not need.  I’m not saying that some children don’t need medications,  but i’m specifically referring to the children who just need a change in their environment. For example, nutrition or activity level.

Solid foundation, happy teenager!

In the past year I have been really reflecting on my daughter’s foundation, and have been working on ways to improve it. As my daughter matures, I want her to experience good quality nutrition, and learn and apply healthy habits. Such as:

• 6-8 hours of sleep every night.

 Sleep is crucial for a healthy metabolism and your child’s brain.         When they sleep their brain can recover from whatever stress it dealt with earlier in the day, repair what’s needed for the body, grow and develop, and also metabolize fuel.

• Eating breakfast every day.

After a 6-8 hour fast (due to sleep) our child now needs to re-fuel. Eating and drinking a good quality juice 30 min upon waking.

• Staying away from harmful foods.

Poly-unsaturated fats (PUFA) is a major culprit behind, acne, bad sleep, poor mood, weight gain, and bad or irregular periods and pms. Do your best to stay away from:

• Grains, nuts, seeds, beans, raw veggies, veggie and seed oils, cold-water fish.  

   Eat more of:

• Milk, butter, cheese, eggs, seafood, beef, bison, juice, fruit, gelatin and salt.

• Eating regularly throughout the day.

Eating regularly regulates your child’s blood sugar, increases focus and retention in school, helps poor mood, helps with sleep, and gives body sufficient fuel.

• Having a healthy social life.

As your child enters his or her teenage years, friends will become more important. Positive, accepting, and supportive friendships are an important part of your child’s development.

• Plenty of exercise.

Physical activity (especially in the sun)  has significant benefits to your child’s mental and physical health. Not only does it help with developing a strong body, but exercise can even be just as effective as antidepressants. Inactivity has been found to be associated with the development of psychological disorders.

• Making room for creativity.

Creativity is an awesome skill set that your child should tap into. Being creative will help with mood, self-expression and communication skills. Creativity will allow your child to become stronger in reflection and meditation, being able to step out of the box and add a new viewpoint or prospective on society, ultimately helping them to be a well rounded individual.

Doing these suggestions has helped my daughter tremendously! Plus our relationship has gotten even stronger, which is awesome! Don’t be afraid to make a big change in your child’s life. Whether thats in school, nutrition, or more exercise, sit down with your child and have a heart to heart and find out what they would like to improve in their lives.