From summer recipes to how to sleep better, read more of The Globe’s guides to living well
Getty Images/iStockphoto
How to handle children’s stress and anxiety
So many children (and their parents) are nervous about the first day of school. Whenever we aren’t sure what to expect, we can get a little anxious. The best way to help our child out of an anxious state is to acknowledge their feelings, normalize their anxiety and teach them tools to “reset” the alarm in their brains.
As for older students, here’s some advice to get ready for university from a professor of more than 25 years. For parents, our guide to preparing teens for campus stress advocates teaching them to tune out all the white noise and prioritize what matters.
Sleep plays a critical role in learning along with regulating moods and emotions. To tackle sleep deprivation, some researchers and educators say sleep needs to be an essential part of the school curriculum, akin to nutrition, physical activity and sex education.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
What to do if your child is being bullied at school
Like wolves culling caribou, bullies single out the wounded, the stragglers, the loners who stray from the herd. Three specialists offer advice on how to inoculate your child against bullying.
As for the everyday social ups and downs that hurt your child’s feelings and might bring back painful memories, try not to let your own difficult childhood experiences get in the way. Focus instead on empowering and supporting your child.
In this First Person piece, Holly Jones writes she never realized how badly she was teased in school until the day one of her bullies reached out 35 years later. And in this essay, Ioanna Roumeliotis writes about her son, who is on the autism spectrum, and asks what if we made it cool to be kind?
A financial guide for students and parents
This collection of back-to-to school stories on personal finance covers everything from the elementary years (don’t feel pressured to buy everything before school starts, as deals are available year-round) to post-secondary education, when issues like a good credit score and insurance for children studying away from home come to the fore.
What’s on the lunch-box menu?
Scrambling for lunch ideas? Emma Waverman offers her essential pantry list and last-minute tips, with help from dietitian Leslie Beck.
Beck writes that diet can help with managing the stress of heading back to class, as eating nutritious and well-balanced meals and snacks may help improve your mood.
While peanuts and tree nuts aren’t allowed in many classrooms, here’s a guide to nutrient-packed substitutes for nut butters.
Machine Headz/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Tips to keep kids active, healthy and safe
September is among the most dangerous months for pedestrians. Yes, kids can be careless and forget to look both ways, so itʼs up to us – as drivers – to watch out for their mistakes.
There are a handful of common infections that doctors count on seeing each fall. This advice from a pediatrician will prep you for what to watch out for and how to handle the inevitable illnesses kids come home with.
Ever looked around your school playground and wondered why it’s so boring? Landscape architects and play specialists are tackling the problem using both art and nature. Some playgrounds are being designed with new materials and thoughtful equipment to remove barriers for those with vision impairments, hearing deficiencies, social anxieties, autism and sensory development delays.
Building relationships to motivate and inspire
The parent-teacher relationship can be littered with land mines. These tips from parents and educators will help you negotiate, communicate and solve conflicts with the other adult helping to rear your child.
In this First Person piece, Gillian Best writes about her experiences growing up as a smart aleck who hated school. When one teacher saw something promising in her, Best describes how it completely changed the trajectory of her life – for the better.
Rick Hansen, founder and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, writes that one of the great successes of the Canadian school system is building a sense of social responsibility and connection with youth, giving them the tools to serve their community, locally, nationally and globally.
Seeing the grandkids off to school
Sandra Martin writes about watching her grandkids head off for their first day of school and how the experience reawakened her own need for a jolt of resilience.
In this First Person essay, Steve Watson wonders why it’s such a struggle to let go as his granddaughter starts junior kindergarten,
