About half of American families skip breakfast. When it comes to getting your child ready for school, eating breakfast is as important as getting them  pencils and books for school.

What are the benefits of breakfast for your child ?

Some of the benefits include  :

• better memory
• healthier body weight
• better test scores
• better attention span
• decreased irritability
• improved overall nutrition

However getting children to eat in the morning  can be very challenging for parents. Parental constraints as well as the child’s busy schedule and  getting the whole family ready can make it difficult to eat .

Tips to help parents make breakfast easier ?

A simple breakfast like a glass of low-fat milk and toast is better than nothing  at all. Whether you opt for a simple or a more elaborate one, these tips should help you overcome some of the common barriers of breakfast.

Plan ahead : This will help you have a wide range of healthy foods. This includes pre-slicing fresh fruits  or getting your child’s cereal  bowl out the night before . This can help save you some time.

Make time : It may not be realistic to sit  down comfortably  and enjoy breakfast in a busy morning. However you have to make enough time so that your child doesn’t eat under pressure.

Grab and go breakfast : If your schedule is such that there is no time for kids to sit and eat , you can make easy grab and  go foods  like hard-boiled eggs, bagel and creams cheese , slice apples.

Let you child sleep early : You should make sure your child goes to bed early. This will make it easier for her to get up early and have enough time to  eat.

Look for school support : With all the attention being given to breakfast, it is likely you will find  balanced breakfast options on the school menu. Your child is more likely to eat them all if all her  friends are eating too.