Help for your biggest back to school concerns

For parents of school-age children, the start of a new school year can be a stressful and busy time of the year. With a little planning, you can help make it easier for your kids and you. The following are some of the common concerns I hear about in my practice and how to take them on, from sleep schedules, eating healthy, reducing stress and staying healthy this fall. 

Getting better sleep

Sleep schedules often go out the window in the summertime, especially with long days making it harder to pull the blackout shades down. Getting back into a regular sleep routine ahead of the start of school will help smooth out mornings that have the potential to be a bit bumpy.

We all understand the consequences of a sleep-deprived and cranky kid (or parent!) but did you know that sleep is also critical to learning? Studies have shown that sleep itself can account for nearly 25% variance in academic performance! We also know that children with ADHD are commonly associated with sleep disturbances and sleep troubles. These children have a harder time paying attention, following directions when tired and can fall behind in school quicker. 

Some of the tried-and-true tips for improving sleep hygiene include moving up a child’s bedtime and wake up time by 15-minute increments to ease towards meeting the sleep guidelines for the age of your child, and then keeping to a consistent schedule. Arrive at a bedtime routine together. It can include a bath, changing into comfy PJs, brushing teeth and story time, for example. Limit screen time and eliminate it completely from your child’s bedtime routine. At minimum, there should be no screens for 1 hour before bedtime. 

Also note where they might be getting unexpected doses of caffeine. Any food flavored with cocoa contains caffeine, including baked goods, beverages and ice cream. Snack bars, especially those marketed as sources of nutrition and energy may contain caffeine. 

Another way to make bedtime easier? Get lots of playtime after school with sports activities, time on a backyard or neighbourhood park play structure or a walk together as a family. 

According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, a typical 6 – 12 year old child should be getting 9 – 12 hours of sleep and a 13 – 18 year old teenager should be getting 8 – 10 hours of sleep3 

Learn more:

• 24 Hour Movement Guidelines (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology) 
• Back to School Sleep Tips (Sleep​Foun​da​tion​.org)
• Healthy sleep for your child (Canadian Paediatric Society) 

Eating healthy

Food is fuel, and children need plenty to keep them going through the school day and after-school activities. Get kids involved with planning and preparing meals, including their school lunches. Make sure your kids can open any containers in their lunch kit on their own and keep the amount of time they have for lunch breaks in mind. Make sure to offer a good variety of foods throughout the day. A general rule of thumb I use is to recommend three servings of fruit (one serving is approximately the size of palm of your hands and as thick as a deck of cards) and three servings of vegetable every day; 1 – 2 servings of dairy (milk, cheese and/​or yogurt) and at least one iron rich food and one protein rich food item per day. 

Children’s appetites change from day-to-day, or even from meal to meal. Don’t be discouraged if your child’s lunchbox is coming back home looking relatively untouched, especially in the early days of returning to school when they are getting used to new routines or rushing lunchtime to go play with their friends. Expert dieticians recommend having parents decide ​“when their child eats; where their child eats; and what the child is provided” while the children decide ​“how much they eat”.4 A healthy handout from the Ellyn Satter Institute can be found below. 

If you are at all concerned about the types of food that your child is eating or are concerned about their growth, it is always a good idea to book an appointment with your primary care physician to review their growth and diet. 

Learn more:

• Healthy eating at school (Canada’s Food Guide) 
• Healthy eating for children (Canadian Paediatric Society) 
• Division of Responsibility (Ellyn Satter Institute) 

Reducing stress

A new school year is a very stressful time for both you and your child. Depending on which grade they are starting, your child may be dealing with new classrooms, new teachers, making new friends and dealing with their changing and evolving bodies. It is important to normalize the worry for your child and to remind them that almost all the other kids in their school are dealing with the same worries. 

Stress and worry can manifest in many different symptoms in your child. These can include changes in their sleep pattern, eating and appetite, changes in their interests, becoming more irritable or moody. Sometimes they may have a sensation of impending doom, feel their heart racing, trouble breathing or feeling shakes. If your child is feeling these symptoms and it is affecting their day-to-day function, it is advisable to talk to your primary care physician about stress and anxiety. Sometimes these children might need the help of a mental health worker or counsellor to talk about their feelings; and some children might benefit from a medication. 

One exercise you can practice with your child is to create a STOP Plan when they are feeling anxious. This involves recognizing your Symptoms of being Scared, writing down their Thoughts, trying to focus on Other thoughts and creating a Plan for something you can say to yourself or do next time you feel anxious. 

Learn more:

• Resources, Relief and Results (Anxiety Canada) 
• Children and Youth Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders (Canadian Paediatric Society) 

Staying healthy

Back to a crowded classroom and resuming all the extra-curricular activities such as sports, arts and clubs equals more opportunities for illnesses to circulate. One of the best ways to stay healthy is making sure your child is up to date on their immunizations — and reminding them of the basics of handwashing, such as before eating and after time outside, going to the washroom, and playing with pets. 

This fall is a good time to review your child’s vaccine history and catch up on any late or missed vaccines. Be sure to use our Getting Healthy Guide to find out the schedules of immunizations recommended for your child based on their age and gender. We recommend an annual influenza vaccine for anyone six months or older to protect them from serious influenza (flu) illness. We also anticipate updated COVID-19 vaccines in the fall to protect your child from serious COVID-19 infection. Anyone six months or older who has not had a COVID-19 infection or vaccine in the preceding six months is eligible. Make sure to talk to your primary care doctor if you have any questions. 

Learn more:

• Handwashing for parents and children (Canadian Paedatric Society)