By Dr. Clarisse Casilang
Contributing Writer
For me, back-to-school time evokes the same sense of excitement and promise as it did when I was the age of my patients.
But I also haven’t forgotten this season brings a big change in routine and oftentimes a lot of nerves.
Here’s a timeline families can follow to help soothe any jitters and set their children up for success in the new school year:
A week before school starts
A blaring alarm can be a rude awakening after lax summer sleeping schedules. Set an alarm so your child’s wake-up time is 15 minutes earlier each day until they awake when they’ll need to for school. Start the bedtime routine 15 minutes earlier each night until they are going to sleep at a time that ensures they’ll get the amount of sleep they need.
Remember: School-aged kids need about nine hours of sleep each night.
Two days before school starts
Visit the school with your child. Show younger kids the playground, their classroom, lunch tables and other areas of interest to them, such as the library or STEM lab.
Join older students in walking from class to class so they’ll know what to expect when changing classrooms each period. If the school has lockers, find your child’s and practice opening the lock.
Review pick-up and drop-off routines. Find your usual drop-off spot and walk with your child to where their class meets before the bell rings. Finish the practice run by walking with your child from their classroom to where they will get picked up at the end of the day.
The night before school starts
Help your child choose their first-day outfit. Encourage them to pick something that makes them feel good and comfortable. If your child wears a uniform, iron the garments or choose school-permitted accessories.
Now is also time to prep and pack lunches, organize backpacks, gather school supplies and complete forms or permission slips. Doing this tonight will make tomorrow much less hectic.
The first day of school
Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day – especially on school days.
Breakfasts don’t need to be elaborate to be effective. Try protein and carbohydrate combinations such as unsweetened Greek yogurt and granola, oatmeal with nuts and fruit, or nut butter on whole-grain toast. This will give children energy and sustenance to keep them powered through lunch.
If your child still feels nervous, give them a pep talk. Remind them that first-day jitters are normal, many of their peers will feel the same, and new routines and faces will become familiar soon enough.
Finally, grab a first-day-of-school picture of your child. They will grow so much this year and you’ll look back wistfully on that first day. And if that isn’t your thing, you don’t have time or you just forget – don’t fret! Either way, give yourself a pat on the back for doing the best that you can.
Dr. Clarisse Casilang is the community pediatrics lead physician and medical director of Wellness on Wheels at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).
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