Back to School Advice
By Todd Huffman, M.D.
Listen carefully around this time of year and you will hear the sounds of children mourning and parents celebrating the approaching end of summer vacation. As the hectic days of fall replace the lazy days of summer, there are many things parents can do to help their children smoothly and successfully make the transition.
Most important is for children to begin returning to their school year bedtime routine. Most American children do not get enough sleep on school nights, and this lack of proper sleep can lead to more difficulties with learning and test-taking, and lead to more behavior problems at school and at home.
A reasonable school night bedtime for young school-aged children is about eight o'clock. By the age of eight to ten years children may graduate to an eight-thirty bedtime. In junior high students, a bedtime of eight-thirty or nine o'clock is reasonable. Around one hour before bedtime, turn off the television, video games, and computer and never allow children to watch television in their bedrooms after bedtime.
Establish and stick to a school morning routine. Chaotic school mornings can lead to chaotic school days. Get up early yourself on school mornings. Use alarms if necessary to ensure that children wake up at the same time each school day, have a healthy breakfast at the same time and have five or ten minutes of quality time with their parents before heading off to school.
Be sure to take your children to the school's open house event usually held just before school starts. Most kids are eager to come to school to meet their teachers, to explore their new classrooms, to see their old friends and to meet some new ones. The open house allows children the opportunity to begin letting go of summer, and get excited about returning to school.
Going to a new school or having a new teacher can be challenging for even the most adaptable of children. For most children, every fall means something unknown is facing them. And as children move up in school, new expectations are put on them: to learn new subjects, do more homework and concentrate for longer periods. This can lead to worries, and to more episodes of frustration, impatience, anger or oppositional behavior as the new school year approaches.
Parents' encouragement and positive attitudes can help children tackle what is ahead. Ask your child what her concerns are about the new school year. Ask her what she is looking forward to. Don't presume or belittle. Talk about the challenges beforehand and agree to a joint plan on how to address any problems or difficulties. Most of all, help her to focus on the positive aspects of the new school year.
One of the most positive aspects of a new school year is new school clothes and school supplies! Taking your children shopping, school supply list in hand, is a great way to get them excited about returning to school, where they get to show off their new stuff.
Discuss in advance, especially with older children, how much you're willing to spend, and how many pants, skirts, shirts, and pairs of shoes the child needs or is allowed to buy.
Finally, as the new school year begins, be sure to let your child's school know of any chronic medical problems, food allergies or physical limitations requiring special attention at the school. Be sure that you get all the proper paper work prepared by your child's doctor so that the school can easily understand what is expected of them regarding your child's medical needs.
Todd Huffman, M.D., a pediatrician at McKenzie Pediatrics in Springfield and past chief of pediatrics at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, is a member of several Lane County children’s health organizations.
