August 24th will be the first day of classes in many Iowa school districts and one expert suggests parents start now with helping their kids shift to getting up earlier each morning.
Julie Trout, a nurse practitioner at Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says bedtimes need to be pushed back a little at a time.
“We don’t need to go from an 11 PM bedtime to a 7 PM bedtime, but can we adjust that gradually,” Trout says. “In my house, we’re doing an hour a week earlier to get back on track or 30 minutes earlier to just help adjust and make it so that when that first day of school does come, it’s not such a shock.”
Trout also suggests practicing the morning and after-school routines.
“If you have children that are at home alone after school, or need to walk to the bus by themselves, or need to come home from the bus stop, things like that, it’s a great opportunity to just walk them through what that routine is going to look like,” Trout says. “Talk about it, answer questions, discuss what the expectations are for the children just to hopefully create the best opportunity for success heading into a new school year.”
She says it’s often recommended children get eight to 12 hours of rest nightly as they prepare for classes to resume.
