WASHINGTON — A new school year is just around the corner, and it’s important to ease your children back into the rhythm of learning before classes begin.
“It is really helpful to start working on the transitions a few weeks before school starts,” says Eleanor Mackey, a clinical psychologist for the Children’s National Health System.
She says to start with the basics, gradually shifting bedtimes and meals to line up with the school schedule.
“It is really important to think about sleep, eating, activities and just the notion of the day,” Mackey says
For teens, those sleep schedules may be the toughest adjustment, since their internal clock is set to fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning. Starting weeks before classes to slowly shift their schedule to accommodate an early start time can set them up for the school year.
For the little kids, it’s a good idea to integrate learning activities into the final days of summer vacation.
“‘Sit down and say ‘Let’s start reading together,’ and start doing things that you know that they might have to do at school,” Mackey suggests, adding that it is a great way to get small children engaged in learning,
She also suggests having a talk with your kids before school begins to set ground rules for homework and scheduling, as well as bedtimes and what to pack for school lunches.
Mackey says it’s a good move for children of all ages, noting they will be more likely to stick with the rules if they helped draft them.
