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12 Tips for Distance Learning & How to Help Your Child Thrive at Home
They say home is where the heart is. During this unique moment in history, home is also where many families live, work, and go to school…together. With many of the nation’s schools closed and stay-at-home orders in effect for most states, some parents have stepped up to teach their kids. Many parents will find the adjustment to working from home while helping their students with the school to be disorienting, distracting, and isolating. As with any transition, there are pros and cons. So, what can stressed-out parents do to help their kids thrive while working from home? Here are 12 tips for distance learning and how to create an effective learning environment at home... 12 Tips for Distance Learning & How to Help Your Child Thrive at Home 1. Establish a Daily Schedule Some kids are more active and may resist a structured study time. On the flip side, some kids thrive in a structured environment. To make sure everyone’s on the same page, determine the best work/study flow for everyone in the family and post a daily schedule in the house where everyone can see what activities will be happening at what times. 2. Get Up Early Parents who follow the old “Early Bird” adage, may find that getting up before their kids allows them to ease into the day before being bombarded with requests, questions, activities, and responsibilities. This strategy can help parents settle into their workday with minor tasks, such as responding to emails, during their kids’ study times. Recess/exercise breaks can be an ideal time to work on high-level projects or make business calls. 3. Take a Break Although it sounds counterintuitive as a time management strategy, research demonstrates that taking a break actually improves focus and efficiency. Depending on your child’s attention span, you may do a 30- or 45-minute lesson followed by 15 minutes of free time, especially active playtime. By switching their attention to something else for a brief period, your child can return to their studies with a renewed focus. 4. Get Moving In lieu of PE class or team sports, organize an exercise schedule for the whole family. Getting active together, with a fast-paced walk around the neighborhood or an indoor workout, can help improve mood, decrease stress, and alleviate anxious feelings. Physical activity boosts dopamine and enhances blood flow to the brain, which should help you and your kid(s) think more clearly. 5. Check-in Frequently Many children have difficulties with follow-through. If this describes one of your kids, make sure they know exactly what’s expected of them in each lesson and that assignments are completed on time. Frequently checking in with your child will help them stay on track and ensure that they don’t miss a deadline. 6. Use Positive Reinforcement Kids tend to react better to encouragement than criticism. Rather than pointing out what they’re doing wrong – not finishing an assignment on time, answering a test question incorrectly, or fidgeting – be sure to notice what they’re doing right. Saying things like, “You’re doing a great job” can go a long way toward boosting their confidence. 7. Stay Calm Some children, particularly those with low levels of dopamine, thrive on conflict. They can be masterful at making other people frustrated or angry at them. Never lose your patience with a child, and always look for ways to maintain peace in your home. 8. Streamline Your Lunchtime Get the whole family involved in making lunches the previous evening so you don’t waste valuable time the next day. This will help free up your lunch break to make business calls, set up appointments, pay bills, or spend some quality time with your family. Instead of making lunches one day at a time, you can set up the entire week’s lunches by doing meal prep over the weekend. 9. Get Creative According to a 2016 study, spending 45 minutes making art can significantly lower cortisol (a major stress hormone). Joining your kids can provide a creative release for you and allow you to spend more time with your kids doing something fun. Creative hobbies can offer physical and mental health benefits, so carve out some time in your schedule for them. 10. Limit Screen Time If you need to take an important call or are on a tight deadline to finish a project, you can grant your kids screen time to keep them occupied. Though not a stopgap you should use on a consistent basis, it can be a huge help if you’re in a bind. If you’re concerned about what your kids are viewing, or how much time they’re spending on apps, games, or social media, you can use a program like Apple’s Screen Time to block content and set time limits. 11. Set Up a Snack Station Right after breakfast, set up a table with cups, pitchers of water, and trays of healthy snacks. This will save you from having to constantly run to the kitchen to grab snacks or fill cups for your kids. Also, feeding your kids healthy snacks will help provide them with an increase in energy and focus. 12. Enlist Help If you feel like you’re in over your head, or just need a break to run some errands, consider handing over the reins to a trusted friend or family member. This can be particularly advantageous if your brother-in-law is excellent at math or your mother can teach your kids culinary skills. Don’t feel embarrassed to reach out for help; sharing the load might end up being a win for everyone involved. Following these twelve tips can help you balance your work responsibilities while making sure your kids get the most out of their at-home schooling. If you have a helpful tip that wasn’t mentioned above, please share it in the comment section below. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health, immunity, and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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8 Time Management Strategies for the New School Year
So how was your summer? Did you get to take a family vacation? Were you able to spend quality time with friends or relatives? How far down your summer reading list did you get? After a jam-packed summer filled with trips and activities, do you feel like you need a break from your break? You’re not alone. If your summer vacation was supposed to be relaxing but wasn’t, we’ve got some time-saving tips that can help you and your kids head into the new school year fresh…and even refreshed. Following these practical principles can help set up your child for a successful school year: 8 Effective Time Management Strategies for Kids and Parents 1. Customized Study Session Take a moment to reflect on the previous school year. What worked well and what didn’t? What successes can you capitalize on for the new school year? For example, did you learn that your child studies better after running around outside for a few minutes? Then allow them to let off some steam before cracking open a book. Does your child concentrate better with or without music? Whatever motivates your child, create the conditions that will support their ability to focus and get the most out of their study session. 2. Plan Together There are many things you can do to help your kids get ready for the school year. Try shopping for school supplies with your kids. Allow them to select binders and folders in their favorite color or style. Buy each child their own planner and have them organize it their own way. Involving your kids in the planning stages can relieve some of your stress and help them get excited about returning to school. 3. Streamline Your Mornings Strategize how to simplify the before-school hours for everyone in your family. The night before, select outfits, make lunches and organize everything your kids will need for school the next day. This will help make morning preparations more efficient and less stressful. 4. Know Your Brain Type The preparation for learning begins long before your child sets foot inside a classroom. It starts inside their brain. Identifying your child’s brain type will make it easier for them to learn. There are 16 different brain types. To discover your child’s brain type, fill out the free Brain Health Assessment. It only takes 5 to 7 minutes to complete. (And yes, adults can take it too). 5. Productive Study Space Determine the best place in the house for your children to study. Create a comfortable space where they can keep school materials organized. Any quiet area with adequate lighting and a writing surface can work as a study space. Make sure the study zone is out of the earshot of a TV and free of devices or other distractions. 6. Give Them A Break If your child becomes exhausted from intense studying or if it’s been a while since they got up to stretch their legs, give them a break. Although it sounds counterintuitive as a time management strategy, research demonstrates that taking breaks actually improves focus and efficiency. If your child concentrates on a particular task for too long, their cognitive control system can begin to fail. By switching their attention to something else for a brief period, they can return to their original task with renewed focus. 7. Quality Sleep Getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night has been shown to help your child’s brain function at optimal levels. When your child doesn’t get enough sleep, they have overall decreased blood flow to their brain, which can disrupt thinking, memory, and concentration. One of the best ways to improve your child’s study habits (and grades) is to make sure their mind is sharp and well-rested. 8. Healthy Snacks Rather than wasting time making after-school snacks, prepare healthy snacks in advance. Store snack bags of celery sticks and apple slices in the refrigerator or serve your kids snap peas or baby carrots right out of the bag or container. For more variety, purchase an organic vegetable tray, which should provide several days’ worth of healthy snacking for your kids. If your kids are picky eaters, disguise healthy treats as something fun, like this delicious penguin snack. Study time is precious, so make the most of it. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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How to Help Your Child Succeed in the New School Year
Ready or not, summer break is winding down and the new school year is almost here! A new school year means helping your child adjust to new classrooms, new teachers and new challenges. Getting through this transition can be difficult, but there are practical strategies for helping your child adjust to the newness and get prepared to succeed in school. The time to plan for a successful school year is now. Though laying out a calendar can be beneficial for everyone in the family, it can be especially helpful if you have a child who struggled in school last year. So, how can you ensure your child heads off to school with the best possible foundation? Following these 3 tips can help your kid start off fresh this fall… 3 Ways to Set Up Your Student for Success 1. Optimize Your Mornings Strategize how to simplify the before-school hours for everyone in your family. The night before, select outfits, make lunches and organize everything your kids will need for school the next day. This will help make morning preparations more efficient and less stressful. 2. Establish a Study Space Determine the best place in the house for your children to study. Create a comfortable space where they can keep school materials organized. Any quiet area with adequate lighting and a writing surface can work as a study space. Make sure the study zone is out of the earshot of a TV and free of devices or other distractions. 3. Get Nutritional Support Aside from giving your children nutritious, organic foods, a great way to help optimize their health is with high-quality dietary supplements. These supplements should include ultra-pure, clinically proven ingredients that provide the vitamins, essential minerals, and other nutrients important for energy, focus, learning, and memory. At BrainMD, we offer a wide array of brain directed nutraceutical ingredients in supplements designed to assist students in reaching their full potential. Here are 5 natural supplements to help you or your child succeed in school: Kids’ NeuroVite Multivitamin Chewables Kids’ NeuroVite Multivitamin Chewables provides the vitamins and minerals that are needed for healthy minds and active bodies.* We chose the nutrient ingredients best documented for kids’ safety and long-term health.* This science-based formulation provides generous amounts of nutrients essential for making energy (magnesium, the B vitamins), to support the brain’s maturation (methylfolate, methyl-vitamin B12, choline), for the electrical activity of the retina and the brain (lutein, zeaxanthin), to form healthy muscles and bones (vitamins D and K), for healthy immunity (vitamin A, zinc) and for the many other functions that power healthy growth of mind and body.* Your child will LOVE the taste of the orange-flavored penguin chewables, which are free from sugar, dairy, gluten, corn, eggs, and artificial colorings or flavorings.* Attention Support Attention Support is scientifically designed for those who struggle with staying focused and attentive.* Pycnogenol is the most clinically researched of all herbals and has improved attention, as well as test grades, in university students.* Choline is a conditionally essential nutrient that helps make acetylcholine, the brain’s main attention, and memory neurotransmitter.* Vitamins B6, magnesium, and zinc all further reinforce attention, learning, and memorization.* Attention Support gives your brain the nutrients it needs to keep on top of challenges and allow you to stay focused and productive.* Brain & Memory Power Boost Brain & Memory Power Boost contains potent, essential nutrients and herbals proven to support a broad range of brain functions.* The combination of ingredients in this formula promote the brain’s basic energy generation and utilization functions, support its need for blood flow, and help sustain its nerve pathways via the trillions of synapses that ensure connectivity between its nerve cells.* Supporting these multiple functions can translate into healthy brain performance.* This all-star lineup of potent nutrients and herbals can help enhance circulation to your brain, facilitate its information processing, and provide it with protection against toxins.* Focus & Energy Focus & Energy was designed to help fight mental fatigue and promote mental sharpness, productivity, and endurance.* This breakthrough supplement features high-purity, standardized concentrates of an incredible array of adaptogens – green tea, ashwagandha, Rhodiola and Korean ginseng – all revered in traditional cultures and proven through modern clinical research to improve mental performance when under stress.* Also included is choline, supporting the brain’s acetylcholine system for both focus and endurance.* This diverse array of powerful ingredients makes Focus & Energy an essential choice for enhanced mental focus and sustained energy to help cope with life’s daily challenges.* NeuroLink Proper neurotransmitter balance is essential for healthy brain function.* BrainMD’s NeuroLink provides an exclusive blend of nutrients that support a diverse array of such key transmitters as adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate.* This formula can help you maintain a positive mood.* It can also assist you in coping with stressful challenges by helping your brain transmitters and stress hormones stay in balance.* NeuroLink can help you think more clearly, feel happier, and experience greater well-being.* At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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What Can I Do to Get Better Grades?
Do you feel like you should be getting better grades? Does schoolwork stress you out? Are you spending more time studying than the A students in your class, but aren’t getting the same results? If you answered yes to any of those questions, Dr. Daniel G. Amen’s new book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades, was written with you in mind. Packed with simple, practical tips, the book will help make studying easier so that you’ll actually start to enjoy the learning process. With schools becoming more competitive and technology becoming increasingly distracting, today’s students face a minefield of obstacles to academic progress. Doing well in school isn’t just a matter of smarts or more studying: it takes good habits, practical tools, and a healthy brain. Brain Basics The human brain is the most complex and wondrous organ in the universe. Your ability to succeed in school comes from many different areas of your brain. If you want to perform better in the classroom, you must first learn about your brain. Did you know: The brain has about 100 billion neurons (brain cells) Each neuron is connected to other neurons by up to 10,000 connections The brain has more connections than there are stars in the universe A piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons and over a billion connections talking to one another The brain weighs about 3 pounds, yet it uses 20 to 30 percent of the calories you consume, 20 percent of the oxygen you breathe, and 20 percent of the blood flow in your body Optimize Your Brain Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades takes you on a brief tour of your brain, to familiarize you with each brain region and its specific functions and potential problems. Even subtle brain issues can get in the way of achieving your academic goals. The great news is that you aren’t stuck with the brain you have. Learning how to optimize your brain is the first step to becoming a better student. Know Your Brain Type The preparation for learning begins before you ever crack open a book or set foot inside a classroom. It starts with your brain. If your brain is healthy, it will be much easier for you to learn. If your brain is unhealthy, it will be harder for you to advance in your studies. Understanding your brain type is critical to getting the help you need. In Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades, Dr. Amen outlines 16 different brain types and details the “dos and don’ts” of the 5 primary brain types. To discover your brain type, take the free Brain Health Assessment and share it with your family and friends at school. It only takes 5 to 7 minutes. Get Organized Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades guides you in how to create an organizational structure that will increase your effectiveness and reduce your study time. Included are 3 effective organization principles designed to help you maximize your study sessions. Comprehensive Guide The book covers a wide range of topics including helpful note-taking methods and proven test-taking tips. Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades also dedicates an entire chapter to how memory works and provides 6 tools for building a better memory. Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades offers science-based strategies that can help you study more effectively, learn faster, and stay focused so you can achieve your academic goals. This practical guide will help you: Discover your unique brain type and learning style Kick bad habits and adopt smarter study practices Get more out of your classes with less overall study time Memorize faster and remember things longer Increase your confidence and beat stress Not Just for School Whether you want to learn a foreign language before going on vacation, take a finance course so you can increase your investing know-how, or simply ace your tests with less effort, you can benefit from the insights in this book. The principles in Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades are practical and can be applied to almost any learning situation. Since technology has completely changed the way students learn, Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades offers many tech tips to help unleash your learning potential. 3 Tech Tips to Help You Become a Successful Student 1. Daily Encouragement Program Siri, Alexa, or another digital assistant to give you encouragement at regular intervals throughout the day or right before a big test. A simple “You’re doing great!” can give you a much-needed confidence boost. 2. Maximize Your Productivity Download a productivity app and use it to analyze how much time you spend on your homework versus on social media. To maximize your productivity, use a Fitbit or other tool to track how much of your day you dedicate to sleeping, eating, studying, working, or participating in sports or leisure activities. 3. Don’t Miss a Word If a teacher speaks too rapidly for accurate note-taking, record lectures on your smartphone and use voice transcription to create a first draft of your notes. Be sure to go through the transcription to correct any mistakes. For underachievers, stressed-out studiers, and students from middle school to college and beyond, Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades gives you the knowledge and tools you need to get the best out of yourself. For more about Dr. Amen’s other books, or our full catalog of brain health supplements that can boost focus, energy, and memory, please visit us at BrainMD.
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