Getting a child back into the school routine can make a huge difference to your child as they start the year.
Here are a few tips from Dr. Myrna Hogue with Hillsborough County Schools that could help you and your kids.
- Two or three weeks before the start of school, start talking to your child about heading back. Find out if they are feeling excited or anxious and talk about it. That can help them settle down.
- Start your school routine. Wake them up for breakfast and have lunch around time they might have it at school.
- Set clothes out night before. You want them waking up and ready to go, no delays. So they get to school on time ready to learn.
- And most vital of all, get them back into a regular sleep routine. According to Dr Hogue kids need at least 8 hours.
"Sleep is very important. If we are sleep deprived, often it can appear to be behavior problems. It can appear to be attention problems. So sometimes students don't necessarily have diagnosis but they need more sleep," said Dr. Hogue.
In order to do that, ensure a good night's sleep. That means getting rid of all electronic devices, from laptops to cell phones, and no TV in the bedroom.
