It's back-to-school time, and in the frenzy of shopping, planning, changing sleep schedules, packing snacks, and filling out all of those gosh-darn forms, it's easy to get into, well, survival mode.

After all, with all the stress that going back to school brings, why would we make things any harder by changing family habits?

Because now is the perfect time, that's why--and because little changes can make a big difference.

It's the perfect time, because so many things are changing anyway, that a few more changes are less likely to be noticed (and fought) by your family. And these changes are not only healthy changes, but ones that can be done incrementally. It's all about moving the needle, no matter where you are in the healthy habit spectrum.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Add one serving of fruits or vegetables to your child's daily diet. Of course you can do more if you like, and if you are already at five, kudos to you--I guess you can skip this one. But most children I meet a) aren't at five and b) would seriously balk at adding two or three. So add one--such as a sliced banana in morning cereal, a bag of grapes or mini-box of raisins for school snack or lunch, a sliced apple or celery with peanut butter for an after school snack, or a vegetable with dinner. (A vegetable at dinner is mandatory at our house, and one of the few servings I can count on with my kids sometimes). Getting your child into the habit of eating more fruits and vegetables does a lot for their lifelong health.

2. Build exercise into the schedule. Children should be active for an hour-a-day, and I meet far too many who aren't. So sign up for soccer. Encourage your middle-schooler to do an intramural sport. Walk to school. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Do some sort of active family activity on weekends--even if it's just going for a walk or walking around the zoo. (Walking around the Franklin Park Zoo can take a while and be good exercise!) For exercise ideas around Boston, check out the Healthy Family Fun website.

3. Help your child get more--and better-sleep. Kids need 8-10 hours a night, and lots (especially teens) aren't getting that much. To help your child get enough sleep: - Move bedtime a half hour earlier - Limit TV before bedtime--not only can what they watch make kids less sleepy, but the light emitted by television screens literally activates the brain. - Have calming bedtime routines, such as bathing and reading. - Have teens charge cell phones and laptops anywhere else but the bedroom. - If you have a busy teen, spend some time thinking together about how to be sure he or she gets at least eight hours of sleep. It will make all the difference--not just for their health, but also for how they act and how well they do in school.

Speaking of how well they do in school...

4. Make a plan for decreasing homework stress. Whether you've got a teen or a first-grader, homework can be stressful for everyone (including you--don't you hate it when they tell you the day before that they need posterboard, or that they have a yet-unstarted five-page paper due?). - Decide on a place, and make that place as comfortable and quiet as possible. - Decide on a time, based on your child's schedule and temperament--and decide on how to make it as pleasant as possible (special homework snacks, for example). - Make a plan for how your are going to communicate, or otherwise know about, upcoming assignments (many schools have the information online). In doing this, you aren't only being sure your child gets his work done, you're helping him learn how to manage his time and his stress, which are both really useful habits. Speaking of stress...

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5 Healthy Back-to-School Habits