It’s 7:30am and your child should be getting out of bed to prepare for the school day ahead. Unfortunately a summer of 10am sleep-ins means they’re not too keen on the early wake-up call.
That’s why it’s crucial to get into the swing of things ahead of time, Sandra Martin from Today’s Parent notes.
“If kids aren’t in daycare or in camps throughout the summer they can really get into a more relaxed habit, which is great for the summer. I do think kids need down time. But getting them back up and ready to wake up at 9am, or earlier for some kids, to get ready for school — now’s the time to start, as early as you can,” she says.
But as many parents will attest, getting into that routine by suggesting an early bedtime isn’t necessarily the way to go. Because what kid wants to go to bed earlier after a summer of later nights?
“What I like to tell parents, and what experts recommend as well, is: don’t be so hung up on the earlier bedtime to start with,” Martin suggests. “Gradually start setting an alarm so that kids are waking up slightly earlier. So if your child’s been waking up at 9am, you may want to move it back to 8:30am to start with for a few days, and then to 8, then 7:30. Keep going back like that until you’re at the point where, ok we’re at the time where they have to wake up to get ready for school. The bedtime will follow because kids will get tired.
“If you start by saying, ‘Okay you usually go to bed at 8pm. Let’s start doing that right now,’ you’re going to get a struggle on your hands because kids are going to be tossing and turning, coming out of bed and saying they’re bored, because their bodies just aren’t ready to go to bed at that time.”
Another important thing to keep in mind is how stressful the morning rush can be — for you and the kids — once school’s back in. Martin advises doing as much beforehand as you can — whether that means making lunches the night before, or deciding what outfits the kids are going to wear and laying those items of clothing out on the dresser for them.
“Be realistic about how much time you need to get ready — whether it’s you as the mom or dad, or your kids,” she says. “Make sure you’ve got enough time to get dressed, get washed up, have a decent meal. You don’t want to send your kids to school with an empty stomach. They’re not going to have a good day if they’re not well-fed.”
Check out the Today’s Parent Back To School section here.