How to Help Prevent Back-to-school Stress

Megan:

Welcome to an HMC HealthWorks podcast. I am Meghan Steckowski, and Whitney Bedard is joining us today. Whitney is a graphic designer and media specialist for HMC. She’s also an army wife and has a son going into third grade. Today, we’ll focus on what steps Whitney takes to help prevent back-to-school stress for her son. Whitney, let’s talk about some of the challenges you face in your home when he goes back to school.

Whitney:

Sure. My son doesn’t like to eat breakfast first thing in the morning. I know it’s important for him to eat, but I also don’t want the first thing we do in the morning is to argue. So he typically doesn’t eat breakfast. But I make sure to pack him a morning snack that he can eat during his reading time at school. We’re lucky that his school allows this. So I don’t feel so bad about him not eating breakfast.

Whitney:

I mean, I even remember a time that I did forget to pack him a snack last year, and his teacher said he had a really tough morning. But as soon as he ate lunch, it was like magic. He was fine. This shows me how important it is that he eats in the morning, for sure.

Megan:

Oh, I can definitely understand not wanting to start the day with an argument. But you’re absolutely correct. Studies show that children who eat a nutritious breakfast do function better. They do better in school, they have better concentration and more energy.

Megan:

What are some other struggles you face when going back to school?

Whitney:

Well, my son loves having a schedule. So the first day of school can be really hard for him because he doesn’t know what his daily routine is going to be. He gets a little anxious and nervous about the first day, but usually comes home excited to go back the next day. I try to give him things to look forward to.

Whitney:

For example, this year, his best friend is in his class. So before school starts, we’ll really focus on that and try to just get him excited about going to school.

Megan:

Oh, I love that you focus on the positive. It’s so important that parents understand what causes stress in their students. According to the American Psychological Association, children as young as eight years old say they worry about doing well in school, and report upset stomachs, headaches, sleepiness. These stresses and symptoms often go unnoticed by parents. So really be sure to listen to your children and help ease their stress.

Megan:

What else do you do to help prevent stress?

Whitney:

Well, I like to put limits on his screen time. Just like the doctors say, only one to two hours a day. I actually don’t even allow him any time during the week. Especially personal electronics, like his tablet or playing video games on his personal electronics. I find that if he gets his screen time, he gets really angry or even upset. So we try to play outside or read a book. I do allow him to watch some TV, but he has to do his homework and 20 minutes of reading first.

Megan:

Oh, wow. That’s great. Having set family guidelines on screen time in today’s challenging, digital world is not easy, but really important. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends creating a family media plan. Sounds like something like you have.

Megan:

We know that when media is used without thought, it can take the place of other important activities like family time, outdoor time, exercise, unplugged downtime and sleep.

Megan:

And speaking of sleep, do you have a school-night routine?

Whitney:

We do, and I’m really lucky because my son, he doesn’t fight bedtime. During the school year, he has a set bedtime of 8:00 PM. Then he typically wakes up between 6:00-6 30 the next morning on his own. I don’t have to wake him up. Like I said earlier, he likes having a schedule. So usually around that 8:00 time, he jumps up and he says, “It’s bedtime,” and goes to bed without a fight. We have a little routine. We talk about our day, we check our steps on our personal watches, and that’s how we end the day… just calm, cool and collected.

Megan:

Sounds like you are very fortunate and very smart to have a consistent bedtime routine. They really can help children and adults be successful at work and school. Children who don’t get enough sleep can have difficulty concentrating and learning.

Megan:

To wrap up today, what is the best piece of advice that you can give families dealing with back-to-school time?

Whitney:

I would just say, make sure you talk to your student. It doesn’t matter how old they are. It could be a kindergartener or someone that’s in their senior year. Just tell them that it’s okay to have the feelings that they’re feeling, experiencing, and make a plan on how to ease their stress together. This way they don’t feel like they’re alone in a situation or that you don’t understand that they’re stressed or why they’re stressed.

Megan:

Great advice. Thanks so much, Whitney, for taking the time to talk to us today and sharing some great parenting insight.

Megan:

And thanks to everyone for listening. Please stay tuned for more HMC HealthWorks podcasts.