Getting Ready for School

Getting Ready for School

Kimberly Mula, Psy.D

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Afg Guidance Center

It is hard to believe that August is upon us and in a few short weeks the first day of school will arrive. So, while you are planning your last minute family get a-ways or celebrations, it the perfect time to get your family back into a school routine. Consider these ideas to work towards getting your kids back on track prior to the beginning of the school year.

First, work on establishing a regular bedtime. Remember that summer breaks are really extended vacations where our children and teens. As adults, we know how challenging it can be to return to work after a week’s vacation. If you’ve been letting them stay up late and sleep in late, you’ll need to reset their clocks to ensure a smooth back-to-school transition. Developing a consistent bedtime that doesn’t fluctuate that much even on the weekends is important for children and teens. Remember, they’ll need a full night’s rest to be ready to tackle the school day head on. Therefore, be patient, getting into a bedtime routine may take a few weeks. It is equally important to develop or return to a structured morning routine by waking them up earlier each day to get them adjusted to 7am wake up calls. Additionally, decide what your children do first whether it is getting dressed, eating breakfast and brushing their teeth.

While on the subject of waking up, you may need to set your alarm a few minutes earlier than usual to ensure you have enough time to get yourself ready for work and be available to help your kids get ready and fed before it’s time to head out the door. When school begins, it may also be good to get everyone into the habit of getting everything together the night before. Laying out clothes, gathering shoes and backpacks as well as making lunches can ease the chaos the morning routine.

Next, help your child become excited about returning to school. Talk about seeing friends, meeting new people including teachers, learning about new and exciting things. Talk with them about transitions into schools, moving to middle or high school. Encourage your child to share their thoughts and feelings focusing on the positive aspects of school and problem solving any concerns. Pick extra curricular activities such as sports or clubs to join. Attending orientations or school picnics, can aid in this transition process.

When school begins, some kids will want to come home and get right to their homework. Others may need some downtime to rest and relax. Remember after spending 6 hours a day in class, they may need and deserve time to de-stress or even nap the first few days of school. Depending on your child’s needs, set up a set homework time and space. Developing healthy homework habits at the beginning of the year reduces problems later on.

Finally, even though summer break is ending, continue to have fun with your kids. Set aside some time each week to spend time together as a family. Spend time talking about the day’s events and making plans for the week ahead for fun adventures you all can look forward to.