By Christine Weinzapfel Hayden, LCSW
Advice from Youth First
I don’t know about you, but to me, it feels like the first day of summer break was just last week. How can it possibly be time to start setting those alarm clocks again? If you and your kids are both out of the school year routines, there is good news, there is always time to get them back, plus some tips to help getting out the door feel a little smoother.
We can’t underestimate the importance of sleep and having a healthy sleep routine. The earlier you start getting your kids (and possibly even yourself) back into this nightly schedule should be the top priority. Setting a routine will help sleep come faster for those who struggle. According to Calm.com, the best practice for a good night's sleep is putting electronics down at least an hour before bedtime. Screen time before bed has been linked to overstimulation of the brain and can be a factor in increasing anxiety and depression symptoms.
It is really important that you’re consistent with your routine. It can look different for every family but should be something along the lines of: dinner, bath, brushing teeth, reading stories and bed. If your child is a visual learner, post the routine in pictures or words (depending on the age of your child) so they have a visual understanding of where they are in their routine each day.
Know the plan each week. Spend part of your Saturday or Sunday looking at the week ahead and discussing as a family what everyone’s needs are and what adjustments may need to be made. My family loves to utilize a large dry-erase calendar that hosts everything from who is eating school lunch on which days to which practices we need to have kids at each night. We make sure to always add extra events that may have come up and any appointments. This is a great method because it not only allows us to set up a monthly/weekly plan but it allows us to plan for anything extra that might pop up along the way.
Do as much as you can to prepare for tomorrow, today. Before going to bed each night make sure lunches are packed, backpacks have all necessary supplies and outfits for the next day are laid out and ready to go. By doing this you’re taking the panic and rush out of the morning routine. If your kids are old enough, have them be a part of this with you. They can pack their lunches under your guidance, lay out their outfit based on what activities they have planned the next day and be sure all of their needed supplies have made it back into their backpack for tomorrow.
Back to school always sneaks up on us. That doesn’t mean it has to be a hurried and stressful season for your family. By setting a schedule and planning ahead you can help guarantee your back to school season goes smoothly.
Christine Weinzapfel Hayden, LCSW, serves as Youth First School social worker at Evansville’s Corpus Christi School and St. Philip School in Posey County.