Having trouble waking your elementary-age children for school? Or getting them to do their homework in the evening? Here are some helpful hints to help send your child to school ready to learn for the day, as well as organizational ideas for when they get off the school bus.
Breakfast
A nutritious breakfast fuels up kids and gets them ready for the day. In general, kids who eat breakfast have more energy and do better in school. Kids who eat breakfast also are less likely to be absent, and make fewer trips to the school nurse with stomach complaints related to hunger.
You can help boost your child’s attention span, concentration and memory by providing breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fiber and protein, as well as low in added sugar. If your child is running late some mornings, send along fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt or half a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Many schools provide nutritious breakfast options before the first bell.
Sleep
Kids also need the right amount of sleep to be alert and ready to learn all day. Most school-age kids need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. Bedtime difficulties can arise at this age for a variety of reasons. Homework, sports, after-school activities, TVs, computers and video games, as well as hectic family schedules, can contribute to kids not getting enough sleep.
Lack of sleep can cause irritable or hyper types of behavior and might make it difficult for kids to pay attention in class. It’s important to have a consistent bedtime routine, especially on school nights. Be sure to leave enough time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights out and limit stimulating diversions like TV, video games and Internet access.
Teach Organizational Skills
When kids are organized, they can stay focused instead of spending time hunting things down and getting sidetracked.
What does it mean to be organized at the elementary level? For schoolwork, it means having an assignment book and homework folder (many schools supply these) to keep track of homework and projects.
Check your child’s assignment book and homework folder every school night so you’re familiar with assignments and your child doesn’t fall behind. Set up a bin for papers that you need to check or sign. Also, keep a special box or bin for completed and graded projects and toss papers that you don’t need to keep.
Talk to your child about keeping his or her school desk orderly so papers that need to come home don’t get lost. Teach your child how to use a calendar or personal planner to help stay organized.
It’s also helpful to teach your child how to make a to-do list to help prioritize and get things done. It can be as simple as:
- Homework
- Soccer
- Put clothes away
No one is born with great organizational skills — they need to be learned and practiced.
This information was provided by KidsHealth from article, “10 Ways to Help Your Child be Successful in Elementary School” at KidsHealth.org. © 1995-2014. The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reprinted with permission.
Parent Talk: Morning Routines Made Easy (At Any Age)
We asked some of our Northeast Ohio Parent bloggers on NortheastOhioParent.com what they do to alleviate morning stress and get out the door on time.
“We let the kids wear whatever (weather appropriate) clothes they want — even if that means mismatched socks, mesh shorts and a collared polo. Will they look stylish in my Instagram photos? No. But they are really proud of their carefully curated outfit and it prevents a river of tears that can derail our morning by 30 minutes!” — Katie Plato from Something to Be Found
“We are very ritualized. We shower at night so we don’t have to worry about that in the morning. I’ll usually have breakfast on the table for them when they come down and I rely on my oldest son to help finish that process. The kids have their book bags packed from the night before and they just have to put their lunch boxes in and we are out the door. We also have hats and gloves kept in their book bags so that we aren’t searching in the morning.” — Maria Kehres from Lessons Learned
“During the school year, routines are so important to make sure we get out the door on time in the morning, with everyone dressed and fed. What we have found works for an efficient and successful morning routine has been to have defined roles. — Kristen Kelly from Ready, Set, Parenthood!
“Luckily for my wife and I, our work schedules allow us to both chip in during the morning rush to get our kids ready for the day together. This cannot be under-valued. Playing zone defense and having both parents completing delegated tasks during mornings can make for a less stressful environment.” — Mason Goodman from Zone Defense
“It can be a struggle for young kids to wriggle their feet into socks. For this reason, I have my son put on his clean socks at night, right after he puts on his PJs. This habit saves us a few minutes of time and frustration in the morning.” — Larissa Kosmos
