routines

Helping Kids Transition Back to School After Breaks

Most children are returning back to school this week after at least a couple of weeks off. While the holiday season is a magical time for families, it can throw school routines into chaos. Here are some strategies to reset routines, manage screen time, and ease your family back into school.

Child drawing at school
  • Establish or reestablish a consistent bedtime. Have a calming bedtime routine with reading or soft music and turn off screens at least a half an hour before bed. If you aren’t sure what is a good bedtime for your child, check out this sleep chart from the National Sleep Foundation.
  • Revisit Morning Routines. After a break from school is a great time to make any changes for the morning routine that may have not been working before! Creating a visual checklist is a great way to prevent morning meltdowns. You can also be better prepared by making lunch and prepping outfits and bookbags the night before.
  • Reset Homework Habits. Make a quiet, distraction-free homework space for schoolwork. Make it a habit to review homework every evening! Set boundaries around screen time and make the rules known to everyone in the home.
  • Have Conversations to Prepare. Whether your child is excited to go back to school or not, they may be nervous for the change in routine. Ask questions and have conversations around getting back into routine and let your children know you are there for them. Try to build excitement by mentioning things they have enjoyed in school or what they can look forward to.

Transitioning back to school after a break can be a challenge for both kids and parents, but with a little preparation and a lot of patience, you can get through it together! By focusing on routines, emotional support, and open communication, you are setting your child up for a successful return to the classroom. Remember, it’s okay if everything doesn’t go perfectly right away! Let us know if you use any of these tips to help your transition back to school go a little smoother for everyone!

Written By: Erin Ruggiero, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

Reviewed By: Holly Bandy, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-youth/communication-resources/back-to-school.html

https://childmind.org/article/back-to-school-tips-for-kids-who-are-struggling/

https://thensf.org/how-many-hours-of-sleep-do-you-really-need/

Traveling Without Your Kids: Tips to Make it Easier for Everyone!

Whether you’re a working parent who has to take a business trip or just going on a vacation without your children, being away from them can be tough! Thankfully, there are things you can do to prepare for yourself and your children to help make it easier on everyone.

Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a retreat with my Family & Consumer Science colleagues that involved being away from my two children for two nights. As they get a little older, (5 and 3 years old) it is a little easier for me to leave them with dad for a few nights, but can be more difficult for them. When they were babies they didn’t quite understand if I was gone for a night or two, but now that they are getting older they are more aware of time and like to have our familiar routine that involves both mom and dad. Thanks to help from my husband and other family members, my kids did just fine without me (though I was missing them like crazy!)

Mom kissing child on forehead

Here are some things I did to prepare us all for this trip that you can try too:

  • Tell them the plan: Kids thrive on predictability in their routine, it helps them feel more secure. Start by telling them how their routine may look different while you’re gone. Visually show them on a calendar that you’ll be leaving on this day and returning on this day. Explain what the night time routine might look like. For us, I said, “Daddy will be putting you to bed for two nights.”
  • Special item: Pick a stuffed animal they already have, a t-shirt, photo, or something that reminds them of you and tell them when you’re gone, they can squeeze that item when they’re missing you.
  • Make a paper chain countdown: My kids loved this while I was gone! Make a paper chain by cutting strips of paper and taping or stapling them together for the amount of days you’ll be gone. Write a note on each strip of paper that they can read (or a caregiver can read to them) while you are away.
  • Make time to check-in: If your trip allows, make time to check in with your kids through pictures, phone calls, facetime, etc. For younger children, this could make them more upset as they may now be more aware that you’re gone. Use your best judgement on how your children will respond and if they would benefit from a video check in.
  • Reconnect when you get home: Make special time to reconnect when you return from traveling. Try to make 1 on 1 time with your kids if possible! Even if it is just ten minutes a day, there are numerous benefits to spending quality 1 on 1 time with your child.

Being away from our children can be a challenge for both parents and kids even when it’s something we want to do! As a parent, I am still learning every day about work-life balance and how to achieve my goals in my career while not missing time with my kids. Preparing ourselves can be just as important as preparing our kids for when we travel. The more prepared we all are, the easier it will be for everyone when the next trip comes up!

Written By: Erin Ruggiero, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Medina County, ruggiero.46@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Fairfield County, carter.413@osu.edu

References:

Peaceful Parent Institute: https://www.peacefulparent.com/quality-one-on-one-time-with-your-child-fills-their-emotional-cup/

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/11-tips-to-prepare-your-kids-for-when-youre-traveling-without-them

https://www.zerotothrive.org/routines-for-kids/

Beyond Academics: Kindergarten Ready

My daughter has her Kindergarten screening coming up in a few weeks. She is very excited to be going to the “big kid school” next year, but I know that this will be a big transition for her. As we prepare for that transition, we have learned that being kindergarten ready goes beyond the academic skills. As parents or caregivers, we can help with the successful transition to kindergarten by:

Establishing strong routines: Kids function better when they have a routine, as they know what to expect and what comes next. When a child enters kindergarten, they will have a routine for the school day. Along these lines, it is important that sleep and night routines are established so that kids get enough sleep for a successful day. Once kindergarten starts, establishing a solid morning routine so that everyone is able to have breakfast and get to school on time is essential.

Helping to develop self-help skills: These are skills that can foster independence and can be part of a routine. Some examples of self-help skills are putting on a coat and zipping it, putting on shoes, and using the bathroom independently. These skills can also help foster independence and responsibility. At dinner time, have your child take the responsibility of setting the table, having ownership and pride in a job well done can help boost his or her confidence.

Learning cooperative play: Being able to play with peers is an essential skill when starting school. Taking turns and sharing all play a big part in this. As a parent or caregiver, you can help your child in learning cooperative play by playing turn- taking games, games that make someone wait until it’s their turn to roll the dice or spin the wheel.

children learning cooperative play

Setting the expectations: When anyone goes somewhere or does something new it can be scary. As much as possible, prepare your kindergartener for what will happen. Attend the open house or conference to meet the teacher. Help pick out school supplies together. Take a tour of the school. Anything you can do to help the situation be less intimidating will have a better result for your child.

With any life transition there is bound to be a learning curve, however with some preparation before the first day at the “big kid school” we hope to make the transition as smooth as possible and have a great year!

Written by: Katie Schlagheck, Extension Educator Family and Consumer Sciences, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties
Reviewed by: Erin Ruggiero, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Medina County

Managing Drop-Offs for Easier Goodbyes!

Tips for daycare, preschool, and school age drop-offs and transitions

If your children are like mine, it’s not always easy for them to say goodbye, especially when going to daycare or school. While some children might run in the classroom excited for the day, it’s okay if that is not how it looks for you! While it is developmentally appropriate for your child to have a fear of strangers, there are ways that you can make daycare drop offs easier for the child and the caregiver.

Children thrive on routines and predictability. Research shows that routines support healthy emotional development in early childhood. Knowing what to expect helps children to feel confident and secure. Help your child to be ready for their school drop-off by giving them reminders of their schedule. You can do this a few days before up to the night before by saying “tonight we will get ready for bed, and when we wake up in the morning we will be going to daycare” (school, childcare, however you refer to it at home.) It can also help to have a visual calendar for your child to look at. We have one hanging in our kitchen that shows an “S” for school on the days we go.

preschooler opening the door to classroom

Another tip for daycare drop-offs that has really helped my family is to create a goodbye ritual. This can be something special you come up with just for daycare drop off or something you use for every goodbye. We started a ritual of doing a hug, kiss, and a high five. This was something my son came up with and we continued with my daughter. Some other examples include: you could close the door and do a high five through the classroom window if it’s easy to reach, do an extra hug at the door, blow a kiss in the hallway, etc. It’s helpful to give reminders on the way to school by saying “when we get inside, we will put your things away, do our hug, kiss, high five, and then mommy/daddy will go to work!”

If your daycare or school allows, it can also help your child to have a comfort item at school. While they may not be able to have this item out during the day, sometimes even having the item in a bookbag or cubby helps a child to feel more connected to home. This could be a stuffed animal, blanket, or even a family photo.

Remember it is developmentally appropriate for your young child to struggle with goodbyes from caregivers. Talk with your childcare provider or teachers to see if they have any suggestions, and be aware that your child is usually happy and playing by the time that you get to your car! If you do hear from teachers that your child is struggling the entire day and having more severe issues with being apart, there could be something else going on related to separation anxiety disorder. If you have concerns with your child struggling with being separated from you, reach out to your pediatrician and see how they can help.

Written By: Erin Ruggiero, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Medina County, ruggiero.46@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Fairfield County, carter.413@osu.edu

References:

Fear of strangers: Babies and young children. Raising Children Network. (2022, December 7). https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/behaviour/common-concerns/fear-of-strangers#:~:text=Fear%20of%20strangers%3A%20babies%20and%20young%20children&text=Fear%20of%20strangers%20is%20a,and%20introducing%20new%20people%20gradually.

Lantz, T. (2024, January 2). The importance of routines for kids. Zero to Thrive. https://zerotothrive.org/routines-for-kids/

Separation anxiety disorder in children. Nationwide Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/health-library/separation-anxiety-disorder-in-children#:~:text=Separation%20anxiety%20disorder%20(SAD)%20is,are%20not%20with%20the%20person.