School has begun for another year, and some parents and students may be breathing a sigh of relief that a new routine begins. Others may find reorganizing and developing a new schedule difficult and frustrating.
September heralds in a year of early morning pressure to get out the door on time, homework, lunchbox dilemmas and a busy taxi service before and after school.
Traffic immediately increases, affecting lifestyle for most people in Cayman, especially on the morning drive.
The 3-4 p.m. daily migration of students from school to home certainly affects traffic flow and adds increased pressure on parents dashing from work for pick up. Hats off to these parents who often forsake lunch in order to do this, as eating lunch adds to their ability to handle stress.
A few simple lifestyle tactics may reduce stress and tension associated with the return to school.
Talk with your children about their concerns of school and how life changes. Begin an earlier-to-bed routine to ensure they get adequate rest.
Decide on a definite time to be ready to leave your home every morning.
Devise a morning checklist for children of what they must do. Post it where everyone in the household can see it. The list could contain, for example, the following: Make your bed, shower, dress, eat breakfast, take vitamins, brush your teeth, feed the dog, grab pack-pack and be ready for 7:10 a.m. departure. Build a reward system for achieving all.
To put an end to morning chaos, (forgetting important school items), design an evening checklist. This could include: Finish homework, pack books in book bag and place by the door, choose clean clothes for morning, prepare or help in the preparation of lunch bags, refill water bottles, discuss next day activities with parents.
Allowing children time to relax, have a snack and to be active after school will help them reduce anxiety and maintain a healthy mind and body.
Instill homework guidelines and stick to them. No TV or Internet till completed. Children learn with clear and healthy boundaries.
Parents, develop a partnership car-pooling with others for school drop-off and pickup. Print a copy and post in a visible place. Reduce stress on everybody by not over-enrolling children and teens in too many after-school activities.
I know of children who do not get home before 7:30 p.m. Fatigue and exhaustion will soon deter their best efforts for high school performance.
Donna Mitchell is a lifestyle consultant specializing in weight management and self-help. She can be contacted on [email protected].
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