Page 7 - Unit 5 Brain Needs: Understanding Physical Needs & Stressors

Supporting children’s physical well- We can’t control the amount or quality of sleep We can’t control children’s diets, but
being children have, but we can educate our children. we can support good eating and
educate about healthy eating.
▪ An increasing number of adults now wear ▪ Teach children the importance of sleep. In the home, this
fit bits and keep a keen eye on their daily could be through You Tube clips. At school, this should ▪ Teach children the importance of
exercise levels. Children need exercise too, be through the curriculum. healthy, balanced diets. In schools, this
yet are often sedentary places. It is vital ▪ Teach strategies and routines for good sleep hygiene. should be within the curriculum (links
that we support children to develop good Work with your child to find out other people’s sleep with science, PSE).
exercise habits early on in their lives: hygiene tips. ▪ At home, keep healthy snacks in the
every adult can make a big difference to ▪ For schools, keep the importance of sleep high profile by fridge and cupboard and don’t keep
this. holding a ’Sleep Hygiene’ day. Put posters around the unhealthy ones in the house / school.
▪ Plan into each day several short bursts of school, hold assemblies and show videos on the Remember – make unhelpful habits as
exercise. You may feel there isn’t time for importance of sleep: hard as possible and helpful ones as
this, yet the dividends it will bring to ▪ KS1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oEXGiWV3p8 easy as possible.
children’s memory and concentration will ▪ KS2+ ▪ For schools:
make it well worth it. Include 10 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxWv6PM4EM ✓ Open a student-run healthy snack shop
of aerobic exercise, 10 mins of distance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpkfMuXJnWI (liaise with local fruit/veg & wholefood
jogging and ten mins of contrasting ▪ Include sleep hygiene tips in school newsletters and suppliers).
movement such as yoga: provide information for parents: ✓ Provide funded breakfast clubs
https://www.cosmickids.com/ ▪ http://www.sleepcouncil.org.uk/wp- ✓ Ensure healthy hot meals at lunch are
▪ Help children get into a habit of taking content/uploads/2015/02/the_good_night_guide_for_chil available to all pupils.
movement breaks every 45 minutes – vary dren.pdf ✓ Deliver a good quality (with structured
it each time with jumping jacks on one ▪ https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/sleep-advice-scenarios/meet- progression) teaching programme of
break, marching on the spot on the next david-sleep-advice-for-teenagers/ food technology so that all children leave
and squats on another. ▪ For those children who are constantly tired ib the day, school able to prepare dishes for a daily
▪ Design daily structures that involve regular use coaching to unpick barriers and support them in balanced diet.
movement around the house, classroom or developing strategies for securing good sleep hygiene - ▪ At home, teach your child how to cook a
school. take a curious and solution-finding approach. set of healthy meals.