5 Tips for Painless Back-To-School Routines

By Dr. Amanda Craig, LMFT

How’s school going? Are you back in the saddle and comfortable in the new routine or were you thrown off the course by unexpected challenges? If you are part of the latter group, don’t despair – you are not alone!

The lengthy summer break is long enough to form new habits in your kids that now might take just as long to change again. You may also notice that now that school is underway, your kids are changing! The strategies that worked so well last year may be a flop this September, while newly-learned and unexpected behaviors might present themselves just as you thought you had things under control! To make matters worse, September has a number of school holidays, which can throw off the newly-established schedule.

All this makes for a hard adjustment for both parents and kids.

Here are some tips to help establish and maintain a structure, keep kids healthy, and find the resources you might need for the next stage of their development.

1.      Stick to a healthy bedtime routine.

Bedtime is the hardest!  Kids don’t want to go to bed, yet they are exhausted – a terrible mix.

• Stick to the bedtime, every day.  If on weekends they get a later bedtime, you as parents will spend all week trying to get back to the routine.  Set a clock to remind them when it’s time to get in bed or brush teeth or read a book.
• No electronics or TV a half hour before bedtime.  It can actually rev up most kids rather than calm them down. Instead, switch to low lighting, quiet music or reading.
• Have a nighttime ritual that includes the 4 essential Bs: bath, brush, books and bed.
• Stick to non-negotiables, but give them a sense of involvement in the process by letting them choose a book or the PJs to wear to bed.
• Visit pbs.org/parents/supersisters/archives/2010/09/bedtime-rituals-for-kids.html or parenting.com/article/bedtime-rituals-for-big-kids for more tips and strategies.
  

2.      Keep healthy snacks handy.

Kids always seem to NEED a snack at the least convenient time. When rushed and pressed, many of us reach for the quickest and most accessible: sweets.  However, with high intake of sugar kids may get hyper, then become irritable or crash.

                     Remember, if you fail to plan – you plan to fail!

• Cut up veggies and keep them in the refrigerator. If veggies are prepared and readily available, you are more likely to avoid “mood altering” foods. Buy those your family likes best pre-cut, your sanity is worth the extra expense.
• Limit the amount of sweet and processed food in the house. Out of sight, out of mind.  
• Invite kids to help wash and cut veggies.  Younger kids can learn to clean veggies with a strainer, older kids can cut with a knife and tweens can pick the way they want to cut the veggies.
• Find quick snack and meal ideas that are healthy at cookinglight.com.
  

3.      Get help early.

Kids generally get into full curriculum by October.  September is often when teachers assess kids’ abilities while the kids get back into the structure of learning and dust the cobwebs of what they learned last year.  Still, be careful not to miss a window for early intervention if your kid is struggling!

• Don’t hesitate to reach out to your kid’s teacher with questions if you see the early warning signs of falling behind.
• Don’t wait until the problem gets really bad.  Ask the school about tutoring or other help available.  Or, get involved in out-of-school resources like Sylvan, Kumon, and Huntington.  
• Kids who feel successful at school will feel better about themselves.  Ask them daily about what they are learning. 
  

Tip: Kids don’t always want to share this so ask them if they are learning something you know they are not- they will want to correct you.

4.      Limit electronics. 

After a long day at school most kids will love to come home and watch TV… while they play with another electronic gadget… with the added bonus of a sweet snack! While it’s easy to give in “for just a little”, we all know what that turns into!

• Put a daily limit on electronics time and boundaries around when and how electronics may be used. Consider implementing an electronics contract with your child. Here is a sample. 
• To learn more about setting healthy boundaries with electronics or identifying a problem, go to www.fit.webmd.com/teen/recharge/article/teen-screen-time
  

5.      Keep ‘em busy.

Schedule commitments and activities help with creating a routine by imposing external boundaries.  Activities also allow kids to find or develop their strengths and gifts.

Each kid should participate in at least one out-of-school activity.  Offer them a choice, or give them a chance to try their hand at different activities.

What are your proven tactics for getting kids back into the groove of school year?

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