5 Healthy Habits to Encourage This Summer

Summer is here, and school is out! Suddenly, you’re seeing a lot more of your child, and they’re adjusting to not having a structured routine. Now is the perfect time to start building better habits. With more time on their hands, your child can focus on making the most of summer break by being healthy. Here are some habits you can work on as a family this summer: 

Staying Hydrated

It’s always important to stay hydrated, but it’s even more important during the summer. Make drinking water a priority for the whole family. Emphasize the need for increased fluid intake in hot weather. If your child struggles to drink enough water, suggest fun ways to drink more, like infusing it with fruit or mixing in electrolyte powder. Make sure everyone in the family has a reusable water bottle. Your child may even enjoy decorating their water bottle with waterproof stickers to make it feel like their own

Incorporating Outdoor Activity

Another way the family can focus on their health this summer is through outdoor activity. Getting plenty of fresh air and sunlight is linked to improved moods and better sleep, which benefits both our physical and mental well-being. Exercise provides its own list of benefits for the mind and body. Make time this summer for participating in physical activity together, whether it’s taking walks in nature, swimming in the pool or running on the beach. Always wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water! 

Eating Whole, Fresh Foods

Often, we turn to processed foods because they're inexpensive and convenient. Unfortunately, it’s not the healthiest option. Look for ways to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet this summer. Consider going to the farmer’s market to find in-season produce so you can get the freshest options. Put together or buy some fruit salads, and find new ways to cook vegetables so they will appeal to everyone (hint: try roasting them!).

Prioritizing Rest and Sleep

When school is in session, children and teens have set wake-up and wind-down times each day. Over summer break, many children lack this structure, which can affect their sleep patterns. Find a routine that works for your whole family, even if that means different wake-up times for different family members. The goal is to ensure everyone gets plenty of sleep each night, even during the exciting summer season. Talk with the family about being respectful of everyone’s schedules and letting each other sleep. Encourage looking away from screens for at least one hour before bed to support a healthy bedtime routine. 

Practicing Sun Safety

Sun safety is one of the most important health considerations to make during the summertime. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can lead to sunburn in the short term and skin cancer in the long term. If you’re going outside during the day, especially during peak hours, here are some steps you can take to stay safe:

• Wear a hat and sunglasses

• Put on sunscreen, reapplying as needed

• Look for shady spots

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we always encourage students to practice healthy habits. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

How to Nurture Your Child’s Mental Health

Adults have a tendency to remember childhood as an easy time. However, children can struggle to cope with a world that always seems to be changing around them. They may also be influenced by outside influences, such as being bullied and the pressures of social media. You never know what your child is facing unless you talk to them. Here are some important steps you can take to nurture your child’s mental health. 

Practice Active Listening

When your child talks to you, listen. Pay attention to tone, body language and other indicators of how your child feels. Consider how they’re saying what they’re telling you. If your child tells you they’re not doing well, they’ve taken a brave step that they may have mulled over for a while. Let them know you’re there for them, and if action is required on your part, take it as soon as you can. 

Provide Sufficient Structure

Children thrive when given routines and activities that keep them engaged. Making plans with your child — and keeping them — can set you apart as a solid foundation in their ever-changing life. Being reliable may not feel like much if it comes naturally to you, but it can make all the difference in a child’s life. This is especially true when things don’t go their way.

Avoid Over Scheduling

Scheduling is good, but over scheduling can lead your child to be overwhelmed. If your child is never bored, they don’t have a lot of time for independent thought. Having time to themselves to do whatever they want is essential to having balance in life. People of all ages could benefit from setting aside a little more time for play. 

Allow for Failure

It can be hard to watch your child fail when it’s something they’ve put a lot of time and energy into. However, failing is an essential part of life. Your child needs to know how to fail and overcome their failures after feeling what they feel in the moment. Giving your child permission to fail is as important as celebrating their accomplishments. This is the only way to build resilience, which will become essential as they grow older and more independent.  

Encourage Healthy Habits

Taking care of your body is crucial if you want to have a healthy mind. Children may not make this connection. When they lose a few nights of sleep to their new favorite game, they might be perplexed about why they’re starting to feel depressed or anxious. Encourage your child to get in a few minutes of moderate physical activity a day, eat nourishing foods and get adequate sleep every night. This can extend to personal hygiene as well, especially for teenagers who often let it slip. The better your child feels physically, the better they’ll generally feel mentally. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we recognize the importance of mental health for students, especially as they grow and develop. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

How the Health Office Serves NTCA’s Student Body

Children often have aches that they can’t explain. When they walk into the Health Office at NTCA, Jody Cline helps them get to the root of the issue. She looks at every student who comes in as a whole person, not just a scratched up knee or a case of the sniffles. The goal is to allow children to return to class and get back to learning. 

“The goal is to treat students holistically,” Cline said. “If the child can be treated in the Health Office and return back to class, we’ve accomplished our goal.” 

Getting to the Root Cause

Students come into the Health Office with headaches and stomachaches that may be caused by anxiety or stress. Children have a difficult time making this connection, so it’s important that they have a chance to talk through it with a trusted adult. The pandemic causes students a lot of anxiety, especially those who recently returned to in-person instruction. Each student is evaluated based on their needs to see if there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

“Instead of blindly following the rules, we look at each student as an individual and consider their specific circumstances,” Danae Gillam said.

Facilitating Care

The school keeps track of every visit and what each child is experiencing. The office also stores medications that students need to take. Emergency care items are collected at the Health Office to be distributed to classrooms when needed. There’s an almost constant flow of students who need help and who, in a public school setting, would be sent home, leaving the burden of figuring out the problem on their parents. 

Students also receive care during school sponsored off campus events. The Health Office sends sports bags with medicine, splints, etc. to the traveling sports teams when they leave campus for games. They also send field trip bags with first aid, paperwork, meds, etc., that students may need when leaving school for the day.

Helping Parents

When children are sent home from school, the burden of taking care of them falls on the parents. With Health Office staff caring for each child as an individual, it is often easier to get to the core of the issue. A child who frequently visits the office could be experiencing anxiety. In this case, the counselor or chaplain is available to help with the parents’ consent. Since the office keeps detailed records, the school can also inform parents if a child needs medical assistance. 

Not Just for Students

Teachers, staff, faculty, and students at both North Tampa Christian Academy and the North Tampa Christian Explorers preschool benefit from the Health Office. Since the school has innovative tools in various classrooms, teachers occasionally come in with injuries from machinery. Maintenance workers also come in with injuries. The idea is to avoid a situation where they need to go to the hospital when possible and to make sure they get there if they need to go. 

How it Started

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the receptionist or administrative assistant at NTCA would be in charge of giving out band-aids, ice packs, etc., as well as their administrative duties. This made life difficult for teachers, who would often have to take on the burden themselves. When students returned to in-person classes, it was clear that something needed to change. 

In August 2020, the health office was among the many new services offered to students to help with the effects of the ongoing pandemic. Much like NTCA’s partner AdventHealth states in their tagline, the goal of this program is “extending the healing ministry of Christ.” The main difference is that the Health Office offers holistic solutions and the opportunity for students to continue learning after visiting. Children don’t always need to go home or go to the doctor when they’re not feeling well. 

“Sometimes, a kid comes in and just needs a 5-minute break, and we give it to them. If they need a minute of prayer, we give it to them,” Cline said.

At North Tampa Christian Academy, a Tampa private school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.