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When the lazy days of summer come to an end, it can be tough to transition back into the fall back-to-school routine. Many kids spend summer relaxing, decompressing from their busy school year, sleeping in, and...spending a LOT of time in front of their devices, be it video games or cell phones. By the time summer ends, getting kids back to a regular sleep and study routine seems insurmountable! Here are some strategies for helping your child get ready:
Gradually shift bedtime earlier - Starting at least 2 weeks before school starts, set a bedtime for your kids and continue to shift it earlier until you reach the target school bedtime a few days before the first day at school. Try to keep weekend bedtimes consistent as well. Even teens need at least 9 hrs of sleep per night, while younger children generally require more.
Set screen goals - Spend some time setting intentional goals for screen use with your children. Ask them which digital activities distract them the most and use that to establish specific goals such as not checking TikTok while doing homework or not playing video games until school work has been completed.
Slowly reduce screen time - Research has shown that more than four hours a day of screen use has been associated with a higher prevalence of behavioral disorders among 9- to 11-year olds. Help kids track their own screen time on their devices and set goals for reducing their usage daily before school starts!
Create the environment - To set up your kids for success, help them create a conducive environment for learning. Have children leave their phone with an adult or in another room when they are studying or set up "Do Not Disturb" during homework hours. This can also be done remotely if you use Apple Family Sharing or Google Family Link.
Switch up the type of screen time - Consider mixing up the time they use by swapping out overstimulating time spent playing video games or scrolling social media on their phones with some time watching movies on TV. The longer plot of a movie requires more focus and a slower pace.
Cull the social feeds - Now is a good time to go through and declutter social media feeds. Engaging in screen use intentionally can help reduce overall screen time.
Create a schedule - Setting a schedule for the last 2 weeks of summer can help your child ease back into the structure of school. Create blocks of time that mirror those of a typical school day, allocating 30-50 min per activity, along with a set lunch time.
See full article here for more ideas. Credit: Wall Street Journal.
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