WFC Blog #4 A Time For Change

A Time for Change

September in Minnesota signals a lot of change for so many families.   The weather starts to cool, the days get shorter, the cabin gets closed up, the leaves start to change color, and kids go back to school!  Back to routine and back to busy hectic schedules.   Change is hard - emotionally and physically! It can be a hard transition for many families, so here are my top 5 tips to help smooth out the changes!

Prepare! Talk about what is going to happen ahead of time and have an organized way to make sure everyone knows what’s coming up! In my family, since I have little ones, it helps if I let them know what’s coming up “in 2 minutes”. But maybe for your kids, a family calendar on the fridge would be helpful to show what’s coming up tomorrow, or next week, or next month!

2. Sleep!  Sleep is the best time for your child’s body to heal, recover, process the day, and continue to grow.   So be mindful of sticking to a solid bedtime routine, ensuring your child gets a full night of quality sleep and can wake up well rested each morning! 3. Nutrition!  In order for your child’s body to handle the stress all the changes bring in to their body from the outside, it is important that their body consumes healthy foods and supplements on the inside.  One of the top supplements you should be providing for your family right now is Vitamin D3!  As we lose more and more natural vitamin D from the sunlight itself, our body requires a supplemental version to help our brain, immune system, mood, and more!  As a general guideline, I suggest shooting for 5000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day throughout the winter months!  Also, for immune health once we settle into Fall, try a highly absorbable liposomal vitamin C and zinc liquid (see our clinic for specific product and dosage recommendations.) 4. Fresh air and movement!  Your child’s body thrived when it was outside all summer running and playing because bodies love to move and get fresh air.   Now that we have to transition to sitting inside for 8 hours at a desk all day, it’s important to squeeze in at least a little exercise outside each day we can.   Our family enjoys an evening walk after dinner or heading to the playground! 5. Get adjusted!  Chiropractic care has a ton of benefits for children (and parents) aside from just helping when there is pain or problem!  For your kids, our focus is more about function and we look at what is INSIDE their back- their spinal cord - as this is the direct communication channel from your child’s brain to all other parts of their body!  Adjustments help ensure their brain can “talk” to their digestive system, their immune system, their eyes and ears, their arms and legs, their mood and behavior regulation, and more!  It also can help their bodies better adapt to big changes to their outside world, especially the changes September inevitably brings!

WFC Blog #4 by Dr. Heather Steckling, CACCP