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At the risk of sounding impatient for those school bells to ring, I’ve had school supplies stuffed in backpacks by the front door since June, memorized class schedules and frequented school Web sites hoping to find an announcement that classes will begin a few weeks early.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s great having the kids home for a while, but 72 hours is enough. More than that, and they lose all sense of schedules, academics, house rules and rational thoughts that we work so hard to instill when school is in session. So as we look toward another academic year, how do we quickly get kids back into the good habits that set them up for success?
One of the biggest challenges of getting back to school is getting up before it starts. It’s only natural for kids to stay up later and wake up mid-day when the summer days are longer and kids have thrown out their alarm clocks. Getting enough rest is important, though, as sleep is directly related to academic performance. Inadequate sleep can affect memory, concentration and reasoning, which suffers enough as it is. Some studies suggest even small amounts of extra sleep can make the difference between scoring an “A” on a test instead of a “B” (www.oxfordlearning.com).
Your child should go to bed early enough so that he wakes up feeling refreshed rather than still in a dream. If he doesn’t easily adjust to earlier bedtime schedules just have him lie in bed and read. Also, set curfews on cell phone calls and texts.
Good nutrition is always important, but especially during the school year. Try to prevent kids from skipping breakfast. This is an important meal and is essential to get the body going while providing fuel for learning. Remember that food provides energy, and energy is required to concentrate and participate, even at 7 a.m. Besides, studies suggest that kids who eat breakfast perform better in school.
If your child does not want to take time for a sit-down breakfast or prefers to eat on the run, then try stocking your pantry with quick choices such as granola bars, bananas and other fruits, cheese sticks, dried fruits or nuts in containers to go. Any breakfast is better than no breakfast, so if your child prefers leftover pizza or even pastries, then it’s best to let him indulge.
If family dinners took a break over summer, make a point of bringing everyone back to the table together. The school year can be hectic due to homework and extra-curricular activities, but sitting down as a family is a great way to stay in touch and enjoy each other’s company. Besides, studies show that kids who eat with their parents are less likely to get into trouble or use drugs (www.alcoholfreechildren.org).
Before the situation presents itself this year, determine how you will handle forgotten homework, band instruments, sports uniforms, lunches, art projects, etc. Decide ahead of time whether you will help your child by driving back to school to retrieve forgotten items or deliver them to school, or whether you will set a limit on how many times Scatterbrain can call on you before letting natural consequences take place.
Discuss academic expectations. Talk with your child about the efforts you hope he puts toward studies and consequences for missed assignments or falling grades. Perhaps you will suspend your child from sports practices or games if he can’t keep up academically. Establishing these standards, expectations and consequences before concerns develop will help both you and your child handle the situation with less drama and arguing.
Decide on rules regarding electronics and screen time during the school week. Try no media until all homework and chores are completed, which probably means never, and set limits on how long kids can use them and when. Remember that video games can be stimulating and may interfere with sleep if played before bedtime.
Many kids dread returning to school schedules, academics and routines. Helping your kids get back into good habits will accelerate the adjustment process. And then, like school, success will be just around the corner.
Ann-Marie Berg is a pediatric nurse practitioner and freelance writer whose work appears in other newspapers. She can be reached at amhberg@mchsi.com.
