Helping children get back into their school routine

Many children may have become used to the long summer break, and may be struggling to get back into a good working routine now school has begun. With as long as six weeks off for some students, it`s hardly surprising that they may find it difficult to adjust. It`s important to begin a new year with the right mindset. Bad habits can easily find a foothold, and the school year should start in the right way.

The most helpful thing you can do for any child who is having difficulty adjusting to the new term is to let them know you are there for them. Let them know they can talk to you about any concerns they are having. Perhaps they have entered a new class and are upset to find that they are without their usual group of friends. Reassure them that there will be many others who are in the same situation as them, and they will very soon find new friends amongst their peers.

Perhaps they are nervous about one of their subjects. A new year often brings in new aspects of the syllabus. If they are starting A-Levels or GCSEs they may be finding the academic jump rather hard to deal with. If this is the case you may be able to help them with some of their work, or you could consider booking a private tutor to help them with the some of the new concepts they are learning.

After the long summer holidays some children may have fallen into bad habits. With no need to get up early for school, and the excitement of summer activities often running well into the evening, it`s likely they have been going to bed and getting up later. The sudden return to early school hours can be difficult for many pupils, and they be sleep deprived for the first few days of a new term. Numerous studies have heightened the importance of sufficient sleep for children. Children aged three to six need 10-12 hours sleep a night; those aged seven to twelve need 10-11 hours; and teenagers need around eight or nine hours. Many children don`t get anywhere near this amount of sleep, and they spend their time at school exhausted, in no mental state to absorb new information. Insufficient sleep has been linked to impeded brain development, associated learning problems, and issues with negative emotions. The ubiquity of smartphones and tablets has only increased this problem, the powerful blue light emitted by the screens of these devices interfering with the circadian cycles (natural sleep cycle) of children, especially as many children are on their smartphones right up to the point when they go to sleep.

A good sleep pattern is helped by following a routine. Having dinner at roughly the same time each evening is a good way of regulating the circadian cycle for both children and adults. Many children leave off doing their homework until the very last minute, often rushing their their assignments just before they try to go to sleep. This is bad for a number of reasons: firstly it will likely mean they are not producing their best work, as they will have to hastily complete each assignment; but they will also end up going to bed with their brains buzzing with activity, a state that is not conducive to a good nights sleep.

If your child has got into the routine of starting their homework late you should see if you can help them adjust their evening schedule. Most children will be loathed to begin their homework the moment they come in from school, but you could try to begin a good working schedule, perhaps with them making a start on their homework at a fixed time every evening. Once a routine is established it will be easier to maintain, and should lead to your child completing school work at their highest ability, and enjoying a better night`s sleep.

The simplest and best thing you can do for a child who is struggling at the beginning of a new term is to let them know you are there for them. It`s easy for adults to forget just how intimidating school can be for children. By being emphatic, and reassuring them that you have an interest in their school life, you will enable them to come to you with any problems they are having, either academic or emotion.