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Kids across the country are heading back to classrooms for another school year, which can leave both parents and children feeling anxious. To help ease that stress, there are three things parents can do, according to a pediatric neuropsychologist.
“It’s incredibly important to prepare our kids to go back to the classroom and also to manage any of that additional stress and anxiety that can come with the return to the routine,” explains Jennifer Katzenstein, director of psychology, neuropsychology and social work at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
So where should moms and dads start? Here’s what she recommends:
- Get back into a routine - According to one survey, 87% of parents of kids under 18 say back-to-school season causes their child stress or anxiety and half say it’s the most stressful time of the year. Katzenstein says making sure there are no back-to-school surprises can help. She suggests contacting the school to see if you can get in before the first day to show your child where everything is, from the drop-off point to their desk.
- Come up with a sleep schedule - If your kids have been staying up late and sleeping in during summer break, you’ll need to help them get back on track with going to bed early and waking up early. Try to gradually start the new schedule two weeks before the first day of school, by moving bedtime and wake-up time 15 minutes earlier every day.
- Monitor electronic use - “Sometimes during summer, for myself included, we’ve let our kids do a little bit more on their electronics and on their devices than we do during the school year,” Katzenstein admits. “We need to bring that back in to no more than two hours per day.”
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