Early morning alarms and school bells will soon ring in the new school year. St. Luke’s pediatric health care providers Melanie Koehler, MD, and Emily Otto, CRNP, offer tips to make the transition from lazy summer days to the hustle and bustle of the school year a little easier.

Dr. Koehler of St. Luke’s Tamaqua Primary Care and Emily Otto of St. Luke’s Palmerton Pediatrics stressed the importance of establishing the school year routine a couple of weeks before the first day of class.

“Easing into the school year is important, and adapting a sleep routine is essential,” Otto said. “Over the summer, bedtime routines often get relaxed, so it’s important to stick to a daily routine every night with wind-down activities to ensure kids get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep is linked to lower academic achievement, absenteeism, and tardiness.”

A good routine for younger kids is a shower or bath followed by a story. Allow kids time to talk to their parents, put those screens away and make sure the entire house is quiet.

Otto also suggested that kids get three meals daily, including breakfast before school. Dr. Koehler added that kids’ ability to learn and retain new information increases when they have adequate nutrition. Besides carbohydrates, breakfast should include protein, such as milk, yogurt or eggs.

As kids get ready for school, Otto encourages parents to look at their backpacks.

“It’s essential to go through them and ensure they’re cleaned out and organized,” she said.

Purchase a wide, padded shoulder strap to wear on both shoulders to prevent muscle strains.

Next, remind kids about safety related to traveling to school. In Palmerton, most kids walk to school, so make sure you teach them about pedestrian safety, Otto said. The American Academy of Pediatrics says most children are ready to walk to school without adult supervision around age 9-11.

If your child rides a bus, remind them to wait until it stops completely and look both ways before crossing the street.

To help reduce anxiety, they encourage parents to talk with their children about how they feel. If your child is anxious, Dr. Koehler suggests calling the school and arranging a visit with the teacher or the guidance counselor. Parents can also request that their child meet regularly with the guidance counselor.

“I usually tell parents not to wait until we’re too far down the rabbit hole to reach out for support,” Dr. Koehler said. “Many families don’t realize that help is available, and schools often have counseling available.”

Sometimes, children become anxious because they’re struggling in the classroom. Among the most common conditions screened for is ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), which your pediatrician can diagnose. The pediatric care provider reviews questionnaires completed by parents and teachers and then meets with the child and parents to discuss treatment if warranted. Treatment tends to be very effective without side effects. Other non-medical tactics can also be helpful, .

To help your child adjust socially, encourage them to become involved. “Being involved with some extracurricular activity will help them find their people – peers with whom they’re going to bond,” Dr. Koehler said.

If your child is not exceptionally gifted at team sports, like basketball or football, many sports, like track, cross country or swimming, focus on more individualized skills.

“Not everybody is going to do sports,” Dr. Koehler said. “I was terrible at sports, but I danced and played piano. Luckily, there are a lot of opportunities in our local schools to do things outside of the classroom.”

Both Otto and Dr. Koehler encouraged parents to monitor their children’s stress so they can be well-rounded, fulfilled people.

“Not every student is going to be perfect at school. Perfect at sports,” Dr. Koehler said. “Look at your child realistically and decide where their time is best spent. And remember, kids need downtime. Our kids miss out on that because there’s so much scheduled time.

“Be sure they have time for what they enjoy and to be with family and friends.”