Breakfast helps kids do better in school.

Children that are skipping breakfast can be headed to all sorts of problems in school.

We talk about this in our Breakfast article in our April newsletter, but this article is a good reinforcement that breakfast is important. It cites the American Medical Association reporting that kids who skip breakfast have:

• trouble with concentration
• hungrier kids have lower math scores
• hungry kids are more likely to have behavioral, emotional and academic problems
• are hungrier earlier (yeah, they haven't eaten yet!)
• tend to overeat at lunchtime

But this is interesting, at least I thought it was, another study showed that kids who ate high sugar (they refer to it as "fast-release sugar") breakfasts, like a doughnut- ate more calories at lunch than kids who ate a healthy breakfast.

When you think about it, it makes sense. The brain needs fuel to think. The brain also controls our behavior and emotions. After sleeping all night and doing some growing... well there is not much fuel in those little tanks. That is why kids really need to have breakfast. It really is that important.

So, if your kid is still skipping breakfast, it's time to step in and work to begin changing their attitudes and habits. Remember, small steps are okay so be patient.

We have a breakfast agreement and tracking tool that you can use. Keep it positive; keep it fun. Change takes time. Okay, I'm done.