Liz Seymour Writes About Back To School Time

Are you having trouble getting your kids geared up for back to school time?

The end of August and beginning of September can serve as a stressful time for parents and their students. It is important to remember to stay firm with a routine and to establish it about a week (for your younger students) prior to the first day of school.

Sleep is a big contributor to a child's school success. All students in grade school through high school (K-12) need lots of sleep. You may feel that your child doesn't need as much sleep as he/she ages, but that is probably the opposite of the truth.

Does your teenagers take part in extra-curricular activities? If so, then they probably arrive at school around the 7am hour and stay past the end-of-day bell. When you put homework, dinner, and socialization on top of a full course load and sports and/or the arts, then your student will need as much sleep as a typical 2nd grader in order to keep healthy and happy.

Please encourage your student to get 8-10 hours of sleep each night, no matter what their age. Not only will they feel better, they will thrive in the school environment. Little sleep leads to cranky children and teenagers, so the more sleep, the better.

A routine for after school is another great thing to instill in your child for academic success. I have found that the most successful students DO take part in extra curricular activities, but also follow a good homework routine following their busy schedule. You may find that a different routine will fit your children better, but I have found that if students do their schoolwork RIGHT when they get home around 3:00 to 5:00 pm, then it will be done and out of the way. Not only will this reduce procrastination, but it will not allow doing homework to get in the way of the sleep routine. If homework is left until after dinner, then children can continue their procrastination and prolong bedtime and increasing crankiness.

Liz Seymour is a certified PA teacher teaching 6th grade math and science at the PA Leadership Charter School (PALCS.org) in West Chester, PA. She also teaches at Young People's Theatre Workshop that meets at The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater in the Fall and Spring and then produces two musicals: one for the younger students in December and one for the older ones on the Main Stage each May-June. You can learn more about Liz at her own site, LizSeymour.com, where she's preparing her own music CD. AND you can learn more about her on this site Here!