It’s hard to believe summer break is ending and students are heading back to class. This back-to-school transition can be a stressful time for children and their parents. However, there are steps caregivers can take ahead of the start of the school year to make it a little easier.
“Learning in school is essential to our children’s health and development. School needs to be a positive experience with opportunities for growth and development, both academically and socially,” said Miriam Cohen, MD, medical director of the Pediatric Primary Care Center, at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s Bridgeport Campus. “By taking time in the back-to school season to prepare our children, we as parents can set the stage for a successful school year and consequently promote the health, development and well-being of our children.”
Before school begins
- Start to gradually ease sleep back to the hours needed during the school year. Often this means going to bed earlier and getting up earlier than we do during the summer. Sleep hours should be adjusted a week before the start of school.
- Make sure that you are reading to your child daily or if your child is of reading age that he or she is reading for 30 minutes each day.
- Cut back on electronics usage to an hour total each day.
- Plan something special for the first day of school. Let your child pick a special outfit or backpack or treat. Starting school should be a positive and exciting opportunity.
Some children will be nervous about starting or returning to school. It’s important for parents to acknowledge those feelings.
“Ask your child how he or she is feeling about going back to school and validate whatever feelings he or she shares,” said Peter Morgan, MD, chair of Psychiatry at Bridgeport Hospital. “You may not be able to solve them and that's okay. Just getting children to talk about it will give them support and create opportunities to think about how to make things better.”
Help ease anxiety during back-to-school time
- Practice or go over routines like bus pickup/drop before the school year starts.
- If your child is going to a new school, try to visit the school prior to school starting.
- Encourage and accommodate (or if your student is younger arrange) in-person social activities with peers from school.
- Attend all school events where parents/guardians are welcome.
It’s also important to help your child maintain regular schedules for homework, eating, sleeping, exercise and fun or relaxation during the school year. Following a routine can help take some of the surprise out of a new situation, ease a child’s anxiety and make back-to-school an exciting time of year for everyone.
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