Aug 19, 09 | Posted by: Sharyl Paley, M.D.

New School Year, New Beginnings

It is hard to believe that in two weeks, all school-aged kids will be back in school. The summer sure flew by fast and now it is time to gear up for school. August often is a stressful time for many families. Everyone wants to get in that last bit of fun and vacation before a new year of  homework and activities start. Along with that last bit of fun comes all the preparation for a new year.

Many kids feel the stress and the anxiety of a new year. Even if they are going to the same school with the same kids, they may have some anxious and/or ambivalent feelings. Many kids don’t do well with transitions. Because of this, August often is wrought with an increase in temper tantrums and sleepless nights.

There are some things you can do to help alleviate the stress and anxiety:

1.  Sit down and talk with your kids about their feelings for the new school year.

2.  Plan out a calendar with all of your children’s activities on it. Make sure that they are not over-scheduled. I usually recommend one activity per season. As your kids get older they may be able to handle a second, but you also have to remember the increase in homework load.

3.  Talk about ways to help you and your kids stay organized. Have a family calendar. Discuss assignment notebooks and how to use them.

4.  Discuss your expectations for the school year. Make sure they know that you are there to help and guide them. Set up a plan for how you will check in with their schoolwork. This may be checking in nightly or weekly. Some schools have computer-based systems where you can check in. Make sure you let your child start to become independent. Teach them how to gain independence and still ask for your advice.

5.  Start getting into a routine now. If they have been going to bed late in the summer, slowly bring that time closer to the school year bed time. Bring the time back by 15 minutes every few days. The same goes for late sleepers. Start waking them up sooner in the morning.

6.  Plan your week so you make sure that you are getting some family dinners in. Everyone’s activities can start taking over, so it is nice to have these on the calendar in advance.

7.  Most important, let them know that you love them and what a great year it will be!

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