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Three Ways To Boost Your Child ’ s Brain Power !
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As parents we are all acutely aware of how important it is to keep our children healthy and fit in both body and mind . Many of us are good at the body bit but what about the mind ? What can we do to help our children make the best use of their brains ?
If you go on to the Internet there are pages and pages of information telling us how our brains work . In this article we are going to pick from that research three ways in which you can help your child and yourself , exercise that brain .
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that school aged children from 5-12 years of age need between 10-11 hours sleep per night . Research shows that any sleep loss can drastically impact on thinking . It can negatively affect attention , immediate memory , working memory , logical reasoning skills and mood .
On top of this it would appear that the need to nap in the middle of the afternoon is normal . It is something that we have all encountered , that inability to keep our eyes open . While it effects different people in different ways it is now accepted that a short nap can boost performance .
How can you help your child ?
Have a regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine .
Its all about the Brain
Make your child ’ s bedroom conducive to sleep - dark , cool and quiet .
Keep TV and computers out of the bedroom .
During the holidays , encourage your children to take a short mid-afternoon nap .
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There ’ s absolutely no doubt that children need exercise , and that most aren ’ t getting enough . Less than one-third of children aged 6 to 17 get at least 20 minutes of daily exercise . In a recent study at the University of British Columbia , researchers found that regular aerobic exercise , the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping , appears to boost the size of the hippocampus , the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning .
As many of you reading this have likely experienced , if your mind is feeling cluttered or you ’ re having a midafternoon slump , a brisk walk or a quick workout can give you a renewed sense of clarity and focus . This is certainly true for children as well .
How can you help your child ?
A brisk walk to school at the start of the day will set them up nicely for learning .
Limit the time your child spends watch TV or playing on the computer .
Encourage your child to take part in physically engaging activities after school and on the weekend .
Engage in a variety of physical activities together as a family .
Mike Jackson