Why Is It Important Not To Go To School Fasting?
Some children wake up very late and end up leaving the house in a hurry. Others, meanwhile, are not in the habit of having breakfast and even claim that they feel unwell if they eat so early. However, it is important not to go to school fasting.
The importance of not going to school fasting
You’ve certainly read it or heard it somewhere: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And not just for adults, but especially for kids!
Eating well in the morning allows us to ‘break’ all the hours when the body does not receive food while we sleep. In addition, it also provides the fuel needed to carry out many of our daily activities, especially those in the early hours of the day.
While no one should skip this meal, in the case of school-age children, this is even more important. The logic is that its lack can affect the health and cognitive performance of little ones.
Not going to school fasting will allow for greater concentration on lessons, a better predisposition to learning, and even exemplary behavior. With a full stomach, it’s easier to be in a good mood and have energy to play, run, exercise and everything else a day at school requires.
On the contrary, not eating breakfast results in irritation, sensitivity, tiredness, attention problems, apathy, difficulty retaining information or carrying out simple orders. Yes, all this can happen because the child does not get used to eating before leaving the house.
The lack of breakfast is not just about a financial issue – there are countries in which, unfortunately, the lack of resources is the reason why children do not eat breakfast – but also about the habits and customs of the family.
If, as parents, we don’t eat breakfast at home, or if, if we do, this is synonymous with having coffee while we change and prepare things for the day, it is ‘understandable’ that the child is not in the habit of sit down and eat well before leaving.
How to make the child have breakfast
As a first step, parents should lead by example and set aside time to prepare and eat a full-fledged breakfast. Getting up 20 minutes early – or not using the alarm clock’s ‘snooze’ function several times – is enough.
At first, this habit will generate ‘rebellion’ on the part of children, regardless of their age. However, habits can be changed little by little.
It’s not necessary, in the first few days, to stuff the little one with food, because his body won’t tolerate it either. On the contrary, if we add one more food each week, after a month or two, the children will enjoy a full and nutritious breakfast.
What requirements must be met for this first daily meal? It is necessary for her to have all the nutrients she needs to face the day. In other words, there is no lack of cereals, fruits and dairy products. We can put together different menus so that it’s not a monotonous meal. Also, it is best that the portions are small so that they can be repeated if desired.
A typical full breakfast includes a cup of milk – with tea or chocolate –, fruit juice – natural, not from a box or bottle – and two slices of bread with jam, butter or cheese. It doesn’t seem that complicated, nor does it take a long time to prepare.
time to share
One thing we cannot ignore is that not going to school fasting is also a time of family togetherness. Those minutes – it can only be 15 and still be enough – in which all family members sit at the table and share food.
Nowadays, everyone has a lot of activities and they hardly get together. This can be an excellent way to strengthen the family bond. While you may not believe it, in addition to the nutrients you’ll be giving your kids, you’ll also be encouraging habits and values. Family, conversations and shared time at this stage of children’s lives are essential.
In short, it ‘s really important not to go to school fasting. This is because of several aspects, from the strictly biological to the cognitive, passing through the emotional and behavioral.
If your family is not in the habit of having breakfast together, you can start on the weekend, when everyone is more relaxed, and then continue on the other days. You will see the positive effects in no time!
