WHERE DID SUMMER GO?
Get the kids back-to-school ready,
Change routine now to make the shift from lazy summers to hectic school days easier
Getting kids ready for back to school isn’t as complicated as you might think.
While it’s easy to get caught up in all the hype around back-to-school shopping, teachers, parents and other experts say the things kids need most before classes resume aren’t things you can buy at all.
Here’s what you really need to take care of before the big day: Get them back to sleep Top billing goes to some decent shuteye before classes resume. Most parents, myself among them, let bedtime slide over the summer. I find it hard to convince my two boys, ages 9 and 13, that they shouldn’t use the longer hours for shooting hoops on the driveway and having water-gun fights with neighbours in order to get to bed on time.
Alanna McGinn, sleep consultant and founder of Good Night Sleep Site and mom of three, assures me I’m not alone. “During the summer, the bedtime routine gets thrown out the window. We’re busy with summer, we’re at picnics and barbecues and it’s light outside and even I forget about bedtime.”
That means chances are good that school-aged kids who’ve been staying up late for the past two months haven’t been getting the 10 to 12 hours of sleep recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society — and that, should the trend continue, they likely won’t once they have to get up early for school. McGinn recommends starting now to return to a more normal bedtime. Sure, when summer days are numbered, we’re unlikely to decline an invite to one last barbecue. “But on nights that you can do it, start practising that bedtime routine.”
Your child’s teacher will thank you. Toronto teacher-librarian and mom of two Juli Belliveau says it’s critical that kids get back to a bedtime routine that would work for their school or daycare schedule. She sees the consequences of too little sleep with her students.
“Typically the first day is great — kids are usually excited to be back. But by Day 2, the excitement has subsided.” That’s when it becomes apparent which kids haven’t had enough sleep, she says. Test those self-help skills Little kids will manage better at school if they can put on their own shoes, zip up their coats and open their own water bottle, says mom of two and former TDSB teacher Sara Vartanian. Before school starts, have your child try to open any new lunch boxes or containers to make sure they are friendly to small hands.
Older kids should know how to advocate for themselves, says Vartanian. Talk to your children about the importance of asking their teacher a question if they don’t understand something, for example.
They should also know to go to the office if there’s a problem on the playground, she says. Simplify your schedule and de-stress Try to keep your weekends light the first month of school, says sleep consultant Alanna McGinn. This is especially important for kindergarteners who are new to a full day of school and may need a weekend nap to rest up. Older kids need downtime to recharge and process the academic demands of school, as well as the complicated social dynamics.
Lesley Sim Armstrong, a Canadian mom and teacher now living and working in Switzerland, told me she’d really like to see families slow down. Running late in those hectic first few weeks of school when you’re trying to get back into routine? Try to relax, she says.
“Kids feel your anxiety and come to school all tense and on edge. I’d rather the kids in my class be a few minutes late than fresh off an argument with their parents or siblings.” Get some new indoor kicks Sure, a first-day outfit is nice to have and can help kids get a little excited about the start of school — especially if they’re prone to mourn the end of summer. But it’s new shoes that really count, especially a pair to wear indoors.
“Camp takes a toll on runners,” says Orangeville mom of two Janice Quirt, who says she’s in no rush to go shopping for clothes.
The weather is usually warm at the beginning of the school year and you can rest assured the stores won’t have run out of clothes by the time your kids need replacements for outgrown jeans.
If your child is small and can’t tie laces in a minute or less, their teacher would prefer you to keep them in slip-ons for now.