New School Year. Fresh Start.

A new school year is a chance to start over, or maybe do things a little bit differently this year.  Kids thrive with boundaries, routines, rules and structure.  These things provide clarity for them. Having rules teaches kids to self-regulate and how to respect limits.  Rules provide children with the guidelines for the behavior that you would like to see from them, they communicate to them what is, and is not, acceptable behavior.  A lot of rules tend to fall by the wayside during the summer (TV bingeing, gaming, social media, bed times, manners). With school underway, it is the perfect time to revisit rules and routines and put some more structure in your household! Here are a few of the common issues parents might need to revisit after summer.

1. Reestablish the purpose of screens.  Screens are learning tools, and they can also be a way to maintain social connections with family and friends. Discuss how much time they should be spending a day on social media (Tik-Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc) and YouTube. Discuss the issues and traps of scrolling endlessly and mindlessly for long periods of time. Say no to double screening (no looking at phone or laptop while also watching tv). It is a terrible habit, if you as a parent do it, make sure you are modeling the appropriate behavior. Be clear about your expectations when using screens for learning and about limiting outside distractions like their social media accounts if they have them.
2. Establish family ground rules again.  Make sure they are clearly understood by your children. If you come up with the family ground rules together, as a family, you are more likely to have “buy in” from everyone. 
3. Importance of sleep. In the summer bedtimes are pushed back, as children stay up later and later, and sleep in later and later. Set an appropriate bedtime, and stick to it. If bedtime has been pushed back much later than you would like, start by moving it earlier each night until you get it where you need it.  Have your child set an alarm and be responsible for getting himself up in the morning (you can be a backup, but it should be your child’s responsibility to wake up with an alarm.)
4. No devices in the room. Don’t let screens interrupt sleep. Have a family docking station where phones, computers and tablets need to be turned in for the night to charge.
5. Get back into healthy habits. Prioritize taking care of bodies and minds.  Healthier eating and getting exercise every day. 
6. Get organized. Have a place for everything. Have your child get in the habit of putting things in their proper place when they come in the door so they can easily find it the next day. They should be responsible for putting their coats, hats, backpacks and lunchboxes in a clearly defined space in your home. When they get used to putting it in the same place, they can easily find it the next day which drastically eliminates frustration and tears the next day.
7. Have a structured time and space for homework. Make this a habit. Studies show it is best to do it right after school, in the afternoon after a short break, before distractions set in. Whatever you decide, just stick to it.