Now that school is back in session - it's the perfect time to
establish healthier school-day routines at home. Consider these
your "New School Year Resolutions" for minimizing stress and
maximizing well-being.
Here are a few strategies to
try:
- Organize the night before. A mad morning
rush starts everyone's day off stressfully. Skip the drama by
taking a few unhurried minutes in the evening to load backpacks and
lay out school clothes and shoes. Are there forms to be signed? Do
snacks or lunches need packing?
- Set a bedtime and
stick to it.
School children need nine to 11 hours of
sleep. Kids who don't wake easily, often seem irritable and lack
daytime energy need more sleep. "Getting enough sleep is important
for so many things, from overall growth to learning and
concentration at school," says John Herman, Ph.D., a sleep disorders
specialist on the medical staff at Children's. Help kids wind down quietly
before lights-out.
- Make time for breakfast.
"If your child hasn't eaten since dinner the night before, there's
no energy to draw from - the gas tank is empty," says Allison
Morrow, a registered and licensed dietitian at Children's Medical
Center Dallas. Kids learn better with food in their stomachs. What's
more, she says, "Breakfast eaters are leaner because they're not
as likely to snack on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods later in the
day."
- Learn what's up. Ask open-ended
questions, such as "What were the best and the hardest parts about
today?" or "What things stress you out?" Then listen to the answers.
Kids are more apt to open up about problems if you show interest.
When following up with a teacher or principal, take a
problem-solving approach.
- Teach safety.
Think through your
child's day from the moment she leaves for school to the time she
arrives back home. How can she stay safe from wearing bicycle
helmets to avoiding conversation with strangers to keeping doors
locked at home?
- Spell out expectations.
Discuss
appropriate classroom behavior, a homework policy, how to balance
social time and schoolwork, and realistic goals for grades. Set the
path for children and they'll know when they're on
track.
- Practice relaxation. "It's important for
everybody to have some downtime, even children," says Pete
Stavinoha, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist at Children's Medical Center Dallas.
"When signing kids up for sports or classes ask, 'Whose needs is
this meeting - mine or the child's?'"
