The Best Books and Resources for Balanced Children
Explore balanced books, videos & online resources promoting balanced children to think about their personal, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. This great collection of resources are perfect to help your students maintain a healthy home and school life balance, reducing feelings of stress.
Balanced Children in the Classroom
A well-balanced lifestyle is vital for our mental health. This includes our personal, intellectual, physical, emotional wellbeing.
I think most of us struggle to live a well-balanced life. But as adults, we need to help children to find a balance in their own lives. Well-balanced children look after themselves through:
- regular activity
- healthy eating
- limiting technology use
- getting enough sleep
- spending time with family and friends
- having time to enjoy themselves
An overload of school, tests, social media and extracurricular activities are harmful to some children.
As teachers, we can help by setting realistic expectations for each student. Providing some downtime or non-academic time sets a good example of balancing school and home life.
Characteristics of balanced children
We can also be on the lookout for balanced traits in our students. The characteristics, which will exhibit in different ways depending on their age, include:
- Taking care of themselves
- Being organise
- Setting and achieving goals
- Having a positive mindset
- Enjoying learning
- Eating healthily
- Engaging in fun activities and regular exercise
- Having positive relationships with friends and family
- Engaging in the wider world
Key benefits of maintaining a balanced lifestyle
There are many great reasons for ensuring you and your students have a good life balance. Here are the key benefits for balanced children.
- Reduced stress
- Improved general health and well being
- Improved mental state
- Increased energy
- Improved mood
- More active mind
Teaching Resources for Balanced Children
In this section, you will find a wealth of resources to support your students in finding balance. You will find a list of balanced books, short videos, online resources and balanced reading related questions.
Balanced Picture Books
This selection of books all relate to having and finding balance and harmony. You can click on the book cover for a synopsis of the book and related online resources.
After the list, there is a list of balanced questions to use during a read-aloud session.
Balanced Discussion Starters: Read-Aloud Questions
- What does it mean to be balanced?
- Describe how [character] leads a balanced life?
- In what ways was [character] balanced?
- How does being balanced effect [character] quality of life?
- What were the consequences to [character] because of a lack of balance?
In what ways could [character] live a more balanced life? - Why is it important [character] tried to be more balanced?
- What strategies could [character] to be more balanced?
- What good strategies does [character] use to be balanced?
Balanced Online Resources
Please check they are appropriate for your specific needs before using them with children. If you have any suggestions please get in touch!
- Children’s Health: The importance of life balance for kids
- Child Net International: Screen Time and Healthy Balance Quick Activities
- Independent: Helicopter or Lawnmower Modern Parenting Styles Can Get in the Way of Raising Well-Balanced Children
- NHS Change 4 Life: Easy ways to eat well and move more
- Psychology Today: Thoughts on a Balanced Life
- PYP Resources: What is the Learner Profile?
- The Whole Child Education: Be a Well-Balanced Teacher
Balanced Discussion Starters: Videos
These short videos can be used as discussion starters for talking about a school and home life balance. Watch the video before playing them to your students. Some of them are simple while others are more complex or abstract.
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In Conclusion...
A well-balanced life leads to contentment with who you are and where you are in your life, but as we know it doesn’t come easy.
Teaching is a demanding job on our personal, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We must try and remember to find our own work-life balance so we can promote it to our students.
How do you manage to find balance?
Do you have any suggestions for other resources to promote balance and harmony? I would love to date this page or 32 of the Best Learner Profile Balanced Books post.
Let me know in the comments below!
Further Reading
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