We know the back to school season is busy, and oftentimes planning healthy meals and snacks for your student seems like the cherry on top of making things feel overwhelming. We’ve tried to make your life easier by putting together one school week’s worth of healthy, balanced, kid-friendly breakfast and lunch ideas!

Day 1: 🍇
Breakfast: Hard-boiled eggs, whole-grain toast/bagel
Lunch: Organic Turkey Lunch Meat, Cheese Stick, Cucumber Slices with Hummus. Crunchmaster Crackers, Grapes

Day 2: 🥕
Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries, Turkey Sausage Links
Lunch: Grass-fed and finished Beef Stick, Cheese Stick, Carrot Sticks and Cherry Tomatoes, Apple Slices with Peanut Butter

Day 3: 🍎
Breakfast: Easy Breakfast Burrito (Scrambled Eggs with Cheese wrapped in a Tortilla topped with salsa) 
Lunch: Homemade Chicken Salad with Crunchmaster Crackers, Sweet Pepper Slices, No Sugar Added Apple sauce,

Day 4: 🍓
Breakfast: Unsweetened Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberries and Blueberries, and Granola
Lunch: Uncured Turkey Pepperoni, Cheese Stick, Crackers, Dill Pickle Slices, Cherry Tomatoes, Grapes

Day 5: 🌯
Breakfast: Whole-grain toast with Peanut Butter and Honey
Lunch: Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Organic Turkey Lunch Meat filled with fresh veggies and cheese of your choice, Pistachios, Grapes

Have you ever noticed your child complaining about an itchy mouth or throat, sneezing, congestion, or gastrointestinal symptoms after eating certain fresh fruits or vegetables?  Some fresh produce contains similar compounds to those in pollen. These compounds are most often located under the skin of the produce. Therefore, there may be a cross reactivity that a child may experience if they have a pollen allergy.

Some children that experience Oral Allergy Syndrome may be able to eat problematic fruits or vegetables that have been peeled. In addition, some of these compounds may be degraded during cooking. So children that have difficulties tolerating certain fresh fruits or vegetables, may be able to tolerate the produce cooked.

Oral Allergy syndrome is somewhat different in that it rarely causes hives, throat swelling, or anaphylaxis. The syndrome usually starts out as a pollen allergy to birch trees, ragweed, or grass allergies. It is often more problematic during pollen season. Approximately 70% of individuals with birch allergies have symptoms of Oral Allergy syndrome.

✅Sublingual Immunotherapy can help address Oral Allergy Syndrome in pediatric patients to help train the immune system not to react to pollens or food allergies. Wellness 4 KIDS has the privilege of offering clinically researched Sublingual Immunotherapy in collaboration with ​AllergyChoices.

 👉Are you interested in exploring Sublingual Immunotherapy to treat your child’s allergy symptoms? Contact Wellness 4 KIDS for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery Call.

Below is a list of foods (used with permission from Allergychoices) that may cross-react with pollens causing Oral Allergy Syndrome in sensitive individuals with allergies.

✅Allergen triggers and the related foods which may cause symptoms:
Birch Pollen

• Apple
• Carrot
• Celery
• Cherry
• Peach
• Apricot
• Pear
• Potato
• Hazelnut
• Peanut

Ragweed Pollen

• Cantaloupe and other melons
• Banana
• Zucchini
• Mango
• Milk
• Mint
• Lettuce
• Cucumber

Grass Pollen

• Grains
• Legumes (peas, green beans, soybeans, all beans such as kidney, navy, garbanzo, etc.)
• Apple
• Carrot
• Celery
• Orange
• Tomato
• White potato
• Zucchini

Cedar Pollen

• Apple
• Cherry
• Bell peppers
• Kiwi
• Paprika
• Tomato

Mugwort Pollen

• Broccoli
• Cantaloupe
• Carrot
• Celery
• Mustard
• Peanut
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Garlic
• Onion

References:
https://www.allergychoices.com/blog/cooking-to-outsmart-oral-allergy-syndrome/

🤧 Does your child suffer from allergies or asthma? As the September school routine is back in full swing, we will be discussing allergies and asthma this month. Currently 1 in 4 children suffer from allergies or eczema and 1 in 10 children suffer from asthma.

🌾 The month of September has the highest rate of both allergy flares and asthma exacerbations of any month in the year. Why? This is likely due to the high pollen counts, high outdoor molds, and grain dust in the air. In addition, children and teens are active in fall sports, many of which are outdoors, which can also trigger exercise induced asthma in some children.

Asthma is triggered by allergies in 60-70% of individuals. While there are a number of medications to help control allergy and asthma symptoms, they don’t address the underlying root cause of allergies that so often trigger asthma exacerbations. Allergy immunotherapy addresses the underlying triggers of allergies that can cause asthma. Treating allergies helps improve control, reduces ER visits, and may prevent asthma from developing in young children.

Affordable and convenient sublingual immunotherapy has been clinically researched to safely and efficaciously treat allergies in individuals with asthma. It may also be used in young children with allergies, the goal being early intervention to address the possibility of further progression into asthma. 

💧Advantages of Sublingual Immunotherapy (Allergy Drops)

• Addresses the cause of allergies
• Goal is to help address the progression of allergy related medical conditions
• Ideal for young children 2 years and older
• Needle free
• Can be used with multiple allergies and asthma
• Lower medical costs long-term
• More convenient 
• Less medications
• Healthier days

Wellness 4 KIDS utilizes IgE Allergy Blood Testing to identify specific allergies and collaborates with Allergychoices to provide Sublingual Immunotherapy to address children’s and teen’s allergies and allergy induced asthma. Contact Us to learn more and begin your child’s allergy and sublingual immunotherapy consultation.

Learn more about Sublingual Allergy Treatment at Wellness 4 KIDS.

Reference and bibliography of studies:
https://www.allergychoices.com/research/bibliography/​

If your child struggles with allergies or asthma Wellness 4 KIDS is here to help! Contact Us for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery call.

​

🚌As our kiddos prepare to head back to school, we as parents want to prepare them to be both academically as well as socially successful. What is one of the best ways to promote lifetime success in children?

According to a large Harvard research study of kindergarten age children who were then followed up in third grade, one of the best ways to assure your child’s success was to give them routine chores. Chores…yes chores!! The results showed the higher the frequency of routine chores in children of kindergarten age, the higher their academic scores, and social scores were in third grade. These findings were independent of income, parental education, or gender. Children regularly assigned routine chores demonstrated higher self competency and life satisfaction scores.

Routine chores that are age appropriate for children help to foster competence, responsibility, independence, and self-direction. These self disciplines then can be carried over into academic and social success.

Key Takeaways:

✅Start when children are young with age appropriate tasks

• Picking up toys
• Helping with laundry folding
• Pet care
• Tidying room and simple housekeeping chores
• Cleaning up after meals

✅Be consistent

• Establish a routine and stick to it
• Provide clear reasonable expectations
• Offer praise for completed work

✅Be prepared

• Attitude is important (place boundaries on grumbling as unacceptable)
• Allow room for learning
• Advance responsibility as appropriate
• Incorporate fun and creativity
• Build self discipline
• Foster sense of accomplishment

🧹🧼Back to school is the perfect time to begin incorporating these chores and disciplines into your child’s and family’s daily life. The dividends will be well with worth it for your child as well as for you as the parent!

Reference:
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/sparing-chores-spoils-children-their-future-selves-study-says

​🚌With back to school just around the corner, now is the time to start easing into the back to school bedtime routine. Children may be accustomed to a more relaxed bedtime schedule during the summer months, but with back-to-school, bedtime routines may need to be reestablished.

👚The transition is easiest if the routine is eased into approximately two weeks before the first day of school. A 15 minute earlier bedtime every few days the two weeks prior to school starting, helps the transition go smoother. In addition, the week or two prior is a great time to work on preparing clothing each evening that will be worn the next day. If preparing clothing and belongings needed for the next day is done the night before, the routine will go much smoother In the mornings for off to school timeframes.

🛌 Bedtime routines should be handled with a matter-of-fact approach with your child and should be consistent. It is important to set a time preceding the actual bedtime to accomplish the bedtime routine activities so that the actual bedtime can be accomplished without delay. Working with your child to develop a consistent bedtime routine that meets your child’s individual needs and assures adequate sleep on a nightly basis is important. 

😴Adequate sleep is essential for optimizing children’s physical and mental health. Lack of sleep can affect children’s normal growth and development including brain development and neurocognitive development. Too little sleep can impact a child or teen’s social and behavioral health. Lack of sleep has been implicated in poor school performance, behavioral disorders, and as a contributing factor in ADHD. In addition, sleep is essential to a healthy functioning immune system providing resiliency in fighting colds, flu, and infections. 

💤Children should spend approximately 40% of their time asleep during childhood. The AAP recommends the following sleep guidelines for children:
Infants: (4-12 months) 12-16 hours including naps
Toddlers: (1-2 yrs) 11-14 hours including naps
Preschoolers: (3-5 yrs) 10-13 hours including naps
Grade schoolers: (6-12 yrs) 9-12 hours
Teens: (13-18 yrs) 8-10 hours

✅Guidelines for Bedtime Routines:

1. Turn OFF screens at least 1-2 hours before bedtime.💻
2. If screens are needed for homework in the evening use amber blue-light blocking glasses.😎
3. Keep TV, phones, and screens out of the bedroom.📲
4. Avoid wearable devices with wi-fi during sleep.⌚️
5. Avoid caffeine and sugar in the evening.🥤
6. Establish a consistent bedtime routine.🛌
7. Snuggle, cuddle, and have storytime for children before bed.📚
8. Keep pets out of the bedroom.🐶

If your child experiences back-to-school sleep struggles, Wellness 4 KIDS is here to help! Contact us for a free discovery call.

References:
Childhood Sleep: physical, cognitive, and behavioral consequences and implications.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12519-022-00647-w

AAP endorses new recommendations on sleep times.
https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/6630/AAP-endorses-new-recommendations-on-sleep-times?autologincheck=redirecte

Traveling with children can be rewarding and challenging. Below are practical, health-focused recommendations to keep your child safe, comfortable, and well-nourished while away from home.

✅Pre-trip Checklist:
Medications & documents: Pack prescriptions (with dosing instructions), a basic pediatric medical kit (weight-based ibuprofen, antihistamine, thermometer, oral rehydration replacement, adhesive bandages, antiseptic), insurance card, and emergency contact information. If traveling out of the country, be sure to check with your health care provider if vaccinations are needed for the area traveled to.

✅Routine is important:
Keep bedtime and meal times as close to home as possible to reduce stress and sleep disruption.

✅On the road or in the air:
Hydration - Offer water frequently: avoid sugar sweetened beverages and limit juice.
Movement breaks - Stop every 1–2 hours on car trips to stretch and move; encourage brief walks in airports or aisle stretches on planes.  
Hygiene - Encourage handwashing before eating and after restroom use: carry hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes for high-touch surfaces.  
Motion sickness - Give a light snack before departure: use acupressure wristbands, age appropriate motion sickness homeopathic, or consult your health care provider about medication if needed.  
Safety - Use age-appropriate car seats/boosters and supervise in unfamiliar environments (hotels, pools, beaches).

✅Simple travel-friendly activities: (age appropriate)
Movement & gross motor

• Stretches during travel time
• Scavenger hunt lists for stops (e.g., find a red sign, a dog, a clock).
• Active games during breaks: Simon Says, hopscotch with chalk at rest stops.

Fine motor & creative

• Sticker books, coloring pads, reusable water-reveal activity pads.
• Travel-safe craft kits (pipe cleaners, pre-cut felt shapes, washable glue sticks).
• Magnetic puzzles and small building sets.

Cognitive & calm

• Picture books, short story audiobooks, simple memory or matching card games.
• Quiet sensory bottles or fidget toys for calming during transit.
• Family storytelling: take turns adding sentences to a shared story.

Adapt activities to your child’s age and attention span; rotate items to maintain novelty.

✅At the destination:
Sun safety - Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen 15–30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours; use hats and UV-protective clothing.  
Water safety - Closely supervise any water play; non-swimmers should use Coast Guard–approved flotation devices.  
Pacing - Limit full days and schedule quiet time for naps or calm play to prevent overtired behavior.
Kid-friendly healthy snacks - (portable, low-mess, nutrient-dense)
-Fresh fruit:  Apple slices, seedless grapes (cut for toddlers), banana, clementines.  
-Vegetable sticks: Carrot, cucumber, or bell pepper sticks with single-serve hummus.  
-Protein options: Hard-boiled eggs (kept cool), turkey or chicken roll-ups, cheese sticks or cubes.  
-Whole-grain carbs: Mini whole-grain crackers, rice cakes, whole-grain granola bars (low sugar).  
-Dairy/alternatives: Non-sweetened live active culture yogurt with added fruit or honey (keep chilled) or shelf-stable boxes of milk or calcium fortified non-dairy alternative.  
-Healthy fats & trail mix: Individual nut/seed packs or trail mix (avoid for children under 4 due to choking risks).  
-Hydration: Reusable water bottle, oral rehydration solution for diarrheal illness.  
Pack snacks in small containers or zip bags for easy portioning and to reduce waste.

✅When to seek care:
-Fever > 38°C (100.4°F) in infants under 3 months or persistent fever in older children. 
-Dehydration signs: decreased urine, dry mouth, lethargy, unusually sunken eyes/fontanelle in infants.  
-Persistent vomiting, bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, or obvious injury — seek prompt medical attention.

As you engage in your summer fun and travel are you wondering what are the safer sunscreens to use for your kiddos? Let’s take a look…😎​
​
👍Zinc Oxide is the active ingredient to look for in sunscreen.
👎Ingredients to avoid in sunscreen:
🚫Oxybenzone
🚫7Avobenzone
🚫Benzophenone-4
🚫Preservatives
🚫Fragrances (can be endocrine disruptors)
🚫Alcohol if possible (can be drying & irritating to the skin)

Children’s skin is more delicate and more susceptible to damage from sunburn. Having more than 5 sunburns doubles the risk for melanoma. Using sunscreen during peak hours protects the skin.

Children do need safe sun exposure for Vitamin D. However, sunscreen is recommended if your child is out in the sun longer than 15-20 minutes during the peak sun intensity hours of 10 am to 4 pm.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends babies under 6 months of age be protected from direct sunlight as their skin is even more sensitive and burns quickly in an even shorter amount of time.

😎Safer sunscreen options:
Badger Baby
Badger Face
Badger SPF 50 Sport Mineral Sunscreen
Babo Botanicals Baby Face
All Good Mineral Sport Sunscreen Spray

​Check out kid friendly safer sunscreens at this Fullscript Link.

🤧Are you ready to address the sneezing noses, coughs and frequent missed school and workdays? Are you ready to address the root cause of your child’s allergies?

👉To address the root causes of allergies and provide the best services to our pediatric patients, we are privileged to offer Allergy Choices Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) through collaboration with Allergy Choices of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Wellness 4 KIDS utilizes the researched and clinicially proven LaCrosse Method. The LaCrosse Method Protocol has been used safely and effectively for more than 50 years in the U.S. with no reported life-threatening reactions. More than 275,000 patients around the country have benefited from the most widely used published U.S. protocol that treats food and environmental allergies. The protocol was developed by internationally regarded allergy specialists through decades of clinical experience and research.

Advantages of Sublingual Immunotherapy (Allergy Drops)

✅Addresses the root cause of allergies

✅Goal is to help address the progression of allergy related medical conditions

✅Ideal for young children 2 years and older

✅Needle free

✅Can be used with multiple allergies and asthma

✅Lower medical costs long-term

✅More convenient 

✅Less medications

✅Healthier days

Sublingual immunotherapy has been endorsed by the World Health Organization as an alternative to allergy shots and has been used globally for over 100 years. The use of sublingual immunotherapy is supported by clinical research recognized by The Cochran Collaboration as an effective treatment for reducing allergy symptoms and medication use. The Agency for Healthcare Quality Research has published review studies on the effectiveness of sublingual immunotherapy as an effective and safe option for treating allergic rhinitis and resulting asthma symptoms.

The SLIT allergy drops are derived from FDA approved allergy extract and are provided and billed directly to clients by Allergy Choices of LaCrosse Wisconsin. The SLIT allergy drops are the same allergy drops and treatment protocol utilized by Allergy Associates of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, an internationally recognized allergy specialist clinic which has been a research and clinical practice leader in allergy immunotherapy.

Most clients who follow daily treatment instructions may finish in 3 to 5 years. It also depends on your child’s type of allergies, severity, and how well the treatment plan is followed consistently. It may take longer for complex allergies. The goal of SLIT therapy is to train the immune system to stop reacting to what your child is allergic to. This can be especially beneficial to children with the goal of preventing or mitigating further allergic disease progression.

👉The LaCrosse Method of SLIT has shown many patients to have a reduced need for allergy medication, reduced allergy related medical visits and allergy related illnesses, as well as the ability to better participate in life with less allergy symptoms. Effectively treating children’s allergies early in life may result in long-term cost savings for medical care.

At Wellness 4 KIDS, pediatric clients will begin their allergy wellness journey with obtaining IgE approved allergy blood testing to identify and confirm allergies. Accurate allergy testing will be used for the foundation of the LaCrosse Method allergy treatment prototcol. For more information on sublingual immunotherapy and Allergy Choices please refer to this Allergy Choices website or Contact Wellness 4 KIDS.

👉 Contact us today about beginning your child’s health journey with research backed sublingual immunotherapy.

​Seasonal allergies can be difficult (and miserable!) for children with pollen allergies and may impact the respiratory system, sleep, learning, and behavior if symptoms are not well controlled. Early spring through fall can trigger outdoor allergies in children who are sensitive.  Below are a few ideas for managing children’s seasonal allergies.

💧Keep your child well hydrated to keep the mucous membranes moist. (Children need half their weight in ounces daily).

🍊Ensure a nutritional healthy diet with the rainbow of colors from vegetables and fruits that provide vitamin C, vitamin A, and bioflavonoids to reduce the amount of histamine the body produces in response to an allergen.

🏡Use an indoor air purifier.

🪟Keep windows closed in bedrooms. Keep all windows closed during peak allergy seasons.

🐶Keep pets well groomed, out of bedrooms, and off the furniture. Pets are great pollen collectors from being outside and then may transfer pollen and mold spores indoors and onto furniture or bedding.

🛀Have your child shower before bed or after time spent outdoors to remove pollens. (Pollens are carried on shoes, clothes, hair etc.)

👟Remove shoes upon entering the home to prevent “tracking in” allergens.

👃Use nasal saline spray to clear pollens from nasal passages.

☀️Pollen counts are typically higher in the evening so if possible, schedule outdoor activities earlier in the day.

In this Wellness Tips post, we are going to continue our discussion about ADHD with nutritional supplement tips and then finish with teachers’ tips for managing afterschool homework. In the previous post we discussed magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, and choline may often be lower in children struggling with ADHD. We will look briefly at each of these, and I will share some supplements that may be beneficial in addressing these.

Magnesium is beneficial in helping to regulate proper functioning of the brain and proper functioning of the neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and norephinephrine. It has a calming effect on the body and can also be beneficial in children experiencing constipation.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids meaning the body can not make them; they must be derived from the diet or supplementation. If your child is not eating 2-4 servings of fatty fish per week, they likely are not receiving enough omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are  components of the cell membranes of the cells throughout the body. They are needful for brain, eye, immune, and gut health.

Phosphatidylcholine may also play a role in the effective management of reducing symptoms of inattention in children with ADHD. It is likewise a component of the cell membrane. It may be obtained from soybeans, egg yolk, cabbage, cauliflower, and meat. It may also be obtained from taking a phosphatidylcholine supplement. It is a more expensive supplement often referred to as “liquid gold”.

The following are nutritional supplements that may be helpful for some children in managing ADHD challenges. They should be approved by your provider and dosed according to age. The following supplements may be obtained through Fullscript.

Written by my daughter, Alisa, who has been a 5th grade teacher for 8 years and has worked extensively with children struggling with ADHD in the classroom.

In the last post, I talked about my top tips to help students succeed in the classroom. These tips were all things that could be done by you, as the child’s caregiver to prepare them for a successful school day. Now, what about when your students’ homework comes home that needs to be finished? Oftentimes for parents, this seems like an even bigger “battle” for them to fight, especially after their kiddo has worked so hard to hold it together and give their teacher their best effort at school. What are some strategies that can help the homework completion be more successful and less of a battle for parents at home?

Oftentimes, your child has given their best effort during the day. They come home and their brain is exhausted. Students with diagnosed ADHD or ADHD tendencies must work much harder than other students to focus, control their brain, and complete sustained activities. Students typically desire to please their teachers and do their best in school. However, this desire to please and the hard work that is exerted exhausts their brain much more than their peers.

When students with ADHD come home from school, the last thing their brain wants to do is more school. Home is usually viewed as a safe place-a place to let their guard down. This may actually manifest itself in increased difficult behaviors, attitude struggles, and unkindness to parents or siblings. It can be an avoidance mechanism for the brain to by-pass more sustained effort and work. This is what often leads to the conflict between parents and students regarding homework completion.

So, because of this, give your students a complete brain break coming home from school. Set the timer for 30-40 minutes. Have them go outside and play. Have an engaging and active activity for them to complete. Do NOT make them immediately read a book, and screen time definitely is not helpful in this situation. Have them engaged in an activity that stimulates the body and rests the brain.

After the brain break, give them a nourishing snack high in protein and low in carbs. This gives the brain food for completing their tasks.

Create a study area that feels comfortable and welcoming for your students. A place that they recognize as their own and that they want to go to. Maybe include some fun lights or pictures, their own desk or organization system, some special pencils or pens that can only be used for school work at home-anything that evokes a feeling of comfort and excitement. 

After your student has had this mental break and is now in their safe study space, read aloud the general homework directions to your student if at all possible. Oftentimes, the hardest part of an assignment is simply getting started. Reading and focusing on directions can also often be a challenge for students with ADHD. Limiting the amount of direction reading that students have to complete on assignments can allow students not to get bogged down in the directions but then have a jump start into the assignment. This also allows the student time to ask any initial questions they may have about the assignment.

Stay away from the mentality that “you have to work on it until it’s finished.” Students all have differing academic levels and needs. What could take ten minutes for one student, could take an hour for another. If you adopt the mentality that you have to work on it until it’s done, this can lend itself easily to overwhelm and frustration. Brightly colored sand timers are such a fun resource for students. Instead of saying, “Work on this until it’s done” try “do your best on this until the blue sand runs out; then you can take a short break.” Breaking up assignments into timed increments can be hugely helpful for the ADHD brain. 

Try incorporating these homework tips with consistency into your child’s daily routine. Consistency done with love and positive reinforcement can help provide your child with the essential fundamentals for success in the classroom, at home, and everyday life.

​This month and next month, we are going to discuss Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We are primarily going to discuss nutritional influences in ADHD as research has shown diet and nutrition strongly impact ADHD symptoms. I have teamed up with my daughter, Alisa, for these newsletters as she has worked with ADHD/ADD in the classroom as a fifth grade teacher for 8 years. She holds a degree in elementary education as well as endorsements in reading, language arts, and music education. In addition, she has completed additional training in dyslexia recognition and intervention in the classroom.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is common in children and teens. Research identifies ADHD may be a blend of genetics, lifestyle/environment, and nutritional influences. A very high percentage of children/teens with ADHD (approximately 95%) have a magnesium deficiency. In addition, there is also a high likelihood that children/teens with ADHD have insufficient Omega 3 blood levels. Omega 3 promotes healthy brain development, and it can often be difficult to obtain adequate amounts from diet alone. Newer research has identified that children with ADHD may not have had sufficient choline necessary for neurodevelopment and healthy cell membranes in the brain. Children/teens with ADHD also may have deficiencies in zinc and iron. In my Wellness 4 KIDS practice, I do laboratory testing as indicated, for nutrient deficiencies which can be beneficial in addressing the nutritional needs for children/teens diagnosed with ADHD.

Studies have also shown that children/teens with ADHD typically consume a diet higher in refined sugars and higher fat processed foods. Therefore, a diet of whole unprocessed foods maximizing fruits, vegetables, and fiber while limiting refined sugars, preservatives, food additives, and food dyes can be very beneficial in decreasing symptoms for many children and teens diagnosed with ADHD.

In a 2021 published randomized controlled clinical trial, 80 children were assigned to either a control group or a DASH diet group for 12 weeks. (The DASH diet, which is also used in individuals with hypertension, includes a diet high in vegetables, fruits, fiber, and low-fat protein sources, and limits refined or simple sugars.) The study design included both parent and teacher reported conduct problems, peer relationship problems, and social behaviors utilizing a severity of ADHD symptoms Conner’s Scale (ACS) and Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham (SNAP-IV) scale. The study concluded children that followed the DASH diet had significantly improved behavior scores measured by both the parents and teachers in the study.*

Reference:
*https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33715085/
For additional references see references section below.

As a fifth grade teacher, I work extensively with many students who have either been clinically diagnosed with or identified as having ADHD/ADD tendencies. Parents may not realize, ADHD/ADD can many times be successfully managed through nutrition and lifestyle modifications without having to rely on medication. I believe there are definitely situations where medication may be necessary. However, unfortunately medication is often the initial choice instead of incorporating other helpful nutritional and lifestyle strategies.

ADHD/ADD can be a very overwhelming and wearying diagnosis for the parents. It can be so overwhelming in fact, that many parents feel like giving up. However, the good news is there are effective strategies parents can incorporate in their child’s and family’s daily routine which can be very helpful in managing ADHD/ADD symptoms.

Parents are incredibly impactful in helping their child manage ADHD/ADD. Parents are a far more powerful resource and tool in their child’s successful education than their child’s classroom environment, their teacher, intensive behavior therapy, or academic intervention. However, there are times that additional professional therapy, resources, or medications may be helpful or needed.

​Here are my top tips I provide parents to help their student with ADHD/ADD succeed both in the classroom as well as in life.

Wake up your child at a consistent time each day. I know it can be tempting to let them sleep in if they were up a bit later the night before, but children’s bodies need routine and consistency. Waking them up at a consistent time allows their bodies’ circadian rhythms to become more consistent and allows them to have a fresh start to their school day.

A balanced, nutrient dense breakfast is key! Strive to give your child options for breakfast that are protein rich and low in sugar. Protein is brain food! I know getting out the door early in the morning to get to school, work, or other appointments is a mad dash (me too, as a teacher!), but I am consistently concerned at the number of times my students come to school without having breakfast (not for lack of resources/finances, but many times parents sacrifice a good breakfast for their child and instead make a Starbucks run). Students who come to school without breakfast (or with an XL Blue Raspberry Casey’s Slushy… it has happened multiple times), struggle markedly more than their peers to focus and complete school work.

Pack a protein-packed nutrient dense mid-morning snack for your student. As much as we all enjoy those fruit snacks, Oreos, chips, or pretzels, each of these snacks provide little to no nutritional value or brain food for your student. If anything, it will typically cause a blood sugar spike and then crash. Thus, causing the student to be more irritable and unfocused than before their snack when they were distracted by a rumbling hungry tummy. Some great (and easy!) snack ideas include: carrots and cucumbers with hummus, grass-fed beef sticks (Costco has some great options!), hard-boiled eggs, any fruit with nut butter, unsweetened greek yogurt and honey, cheese sticks, pistachios or other nuts, and unsweetened applesauce.

Ask your child’s teacher if your student could have access to some sort of “wiggle releaser” at their desk/chair. My personal favorites to use in my classroom are Bouncy Bands or a yoga ball. These are both great options that allow students to expend some excess energy while minimizing distraction in the classroom setting. Hand fidgets, while trendy and dearly loved by children and adolescents, actually have a negative effect in the classroom setting and are more of a distraction than an energy releaser.

After school each day, minimize screen time available to your student. Screen time has a significant negative effect on students with ADHD/ADD. Screen time actually accentuates and makes their ADHD/ADD symptoms worse because it is over-stimulating and creating chaos in a brain that is already struggling to stay calm and organized. Give your students incentives for spending time outside and getting fresh air. If your children do have access to screens, shut off their access to these devices no later than an hour before bed time. The brain needs adequate time to calm down before falling asleep. Sadly, more and more children are struggling with insomnia due to the rapid increase in large amounts of screen-time consumption by children and adolescents.

As much as possible, set a bedtime schedule that allows your child to get the recommended amount of sleep for their particular age group. While it is normal and expected for schedules to fluctuate from day to day with sports practices, after school extracurricular events, church activities, and other family events, many students are coming to school with six or less hours of sleep a night due to “fun events” or “my parents let me stay up as late as I want and play video games.” You are the parent/guardian. Don’t hesitate to set bedtime boundaries for your children. This is one of the MOST effective ways you can naturally calm their brain and nervous system.

Tune in for next months Wellness Tips newsletter for additional information and tips in dealing with your child’s ADHD/ADD symptoms. Finally, in conclusion, remember you as the parent are the most important influence in your child’s life. Nurturing a loving and positive relationship with your child is foundational. It is hard work being a parent and parenting a child with ADHD/ADD can be extra challenging, but it can also be extra rewarding! So remember to look for and count the daily blessings!

Additional References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7011463/
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/1/3/261 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30267523/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4170184/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30807974/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5581161/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8618748/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31383279/

Interested in natural options for addressing your child’s health challenges? Wellness 4 KIDS is here to help. Contact us for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery Call or learn more at Wellness4KIDS.net