Part 2: Routine Rules!

One of the hardest things about summer ending and going back to school is that there is now a regimented routine to the days and weeks. We go from being on vacation and lazy summer days to overly scheduled, earlier bed and wake times. It’s enough to send any child (or parent) into a fit of frustration and tears. If your children are like my children the meltdowns always happen at bedtime.

To ease the shock of the transition to a more regimented schedule, try implementing a little more routine into those last days of summer. Here are 3 ways you can do this.

 1) Set a designated reading time each day leading up to the first day of school. Your child can finish the summer reading they’ve been putting off and get back into the habit of homework. If your child is of preschool age, carve out a designated time to draw or work on letter recognition with them.

 2) Go on a walk with your children for 30 minutes each morning right after waking up. This will get their bodies used to moving at an earlier hour, again, give everyone a little exercise and a nice relaxed arena to talk about what to expect with this new school year.   Light conversation like this could let you in on what’s going on in their minds so you can help ease any fears they may have about the upcoming school year.

3) Start up family dinners as many nights a week as possible preferably around the same time each night. This will also help ease your kids back into a more structured bedtime routine appropriate for school nights.

I cannot stress enough the importance of routine in keeping your children feeling confident and safe and therefore going to sleep easier at night.

Stay tuned for Part 3 when we discuss communication. 

Sleep well,

Courtney