There is a lot to remember when getting your child ready for a new school year, but it’s helpful to put your efforts into three important areas: sleep, routine, and communication.
Sleep: Making sure that your child has adequate sleep will allow your child’s mind and body to have proper rest and prepares them to come to school ready to learn. Sleep is associated with mental and physical health which includes but is not limited to cognition, memory, and emotional stability. The amount of sleep that children need varies by age and other individual factors. It’s recommended that school-aged children should be getting between 9-12 hours of sleep and teenagers should be getting between 8-10 hours of sleep. With busy schedules and late night routines this is not always easy to accomplish. To prepare for the beginning of school, start waking them up earlier in the morning, and going to bed earlier in the evenings. It is important to remember teenagers begin to have a later circadian rhythm which can be difficult with the morning school wake up times. Have an open discussion with your teen about the importance of sleep and have them work with you to create a feasible sleep schedule. Catch-up sleep on the weekends can be attractive to teens, but will not solve the daily issue. More than an extra hour or two during the weekend may exacerbate the problem during the school day routine. One way to help all children get enough sleep is to create a consistent routine prioritizing sleep as an important component in their daily schedule
Routine: Establishing a routine that works for you and your family before school starts—especially in terms of bedtime and homework—will go a long way to starting a smooth transition. Create time in the afternoon/evenings for reading or non-electronic time, which in the near future will probably be substituted by homework. Where possible create an area outside the bedroom for electronics, homework, and other school-based activities. Big changes can be a shock to children’s systems, so start now and build towards their school-year schedules.
Communication: Equally important to creating a successful school year is being mindful of your child’s communication style. Not every child communicates in the same way—and your style might not match your child’s! Here are a few key tips to remember:
- Communication comes in many different forms. While some children love to chatter and tell you about your day, others choose to express themselves through drawing or journaling. Let them draw you a picture or write you a note about their school day. Some children even enjoy picking a song that reminds them of their day. Allow them the freedom to express themselves.
- Your type of question matters. Try to ask open questions to facilitate conversation. For example, ask “What did you do today?” instead of “Did you have a good day?” Also focus on questions such as “What was your favorite thing about school today?” or “What are three new things you learned today?” While we want to hear about all aspects of school, focusing on the positive aspects of school at least at the beginning of the conversation will help create a positive association with school.
- Take advantage of the downtimes. Some children may not tell you about school when you ask them directly, but will spill the beans when they are in the car driving to practice or playing a game with you. Tweens and teens in particular tend to chat in the car where eye contact is limited. Try to take advantage of these moments by having the radio volume low in case your teen starts belting out all the gossip (or ‘the tea,’ in today’s lingo!) of the day.
As we enter the school year setting up a routine that prioritizes sleep will help your child transition into the next school year. Establish a safe communication space—so your child knows you’re there to listen when they want to talk.
