AS the holidays draw to a close, parents face the challenge of getting their kids back into a regular bedtime routine after a summer of late nights.
Spruce sleep expert Tony Spencer has revealed the timeline parents should use to ensure their children get back to their normal sleep and can start the new school year feeling refreshed and rested.
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But it’s not something you can leave until the last minute, as Tony explains how important it is to start early.
“Parents should start adjusting their children’s sleep routines about two weeks before school starts,” Tony advises.
“This allows enough time for gradual changes without rushing the process.”
Tony shares five simple strategies parents can implement before their little one goes back to school.
Maintain a consistent bedtime routine
Start introducing a calming bedtime routine two weeks before the school year starts.
This could be reading, doing puzzles or playing quietly, followed by sleep hygiene tasks. Consistency is key to letting the body know it’s time to relax.
Maximize morning light exposure
Try to get your kids outside within an hour of waking up. This early light exposure helps reset the body’s internal clock, making it easier to adjust to earlier school times.
Even if it’s just by leaning out of the window for five minutes as soon as they wake up.
Adjust sleep and wake times gradually
In the weeks before they go back to school, start shifting bedtimes and wake-up times by 10-15 minutes every few days.
This gentle approach allows the body to naturally adapt to the new schedule.
Dealing with screen time effectively
Use the two-week transition period to implement stricter screen time limits.
Tips to stay organized during the summer holidays
Don’t know how to keep your summer vacation organized? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Senior Fabulous Writer, Sarah Bull, has shared her top tips…
FOOD: What I find difficult is keeping track of how many snacks my children keep asking for.
Although they have one break and then lunch at school, their demand for food during school holidays seems to be all day long.
To make it a little easier, I decided to bring snack baskets for them.
They both have a certain amount of food (the same, so there is no arguing) and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
Not only does it make my life easier, but it also teaches them to space things out and maybe even learn whether the “hunger signals” are actually hunger or thirst signals.
ACTIVITIES: Keeping your kids entertained can be tough, and six weeks can be a really long time.
One thing to take advantage of is an outdoor space. If you have a garden, you can put bikes or scooters there, or even a trampoline.
It keeps them busy and also ensures that they get some form of exercise every day.
If you don’t have room for a climbing frame or other activities, you can also give the kids a bucket of chalk and let them draw on the sidewalk.
Or another one I did was give the kids a ‘magic solution’ that I wanted painted on the wall (it was just water and dish soap) to protect it. They spent a good hour on that!
CLOTHES: Since my six-year-old daughter started school, I’ve been using clothes drawers for her and my ten-year-old son.
On Sunday I put all their clothes, underwear, socks, etc. in the designated drawer for the week.
Mostly it’s uniform, but I also use the drawers during the holidays.
It simply makes things easier, more organized and less stressful – for all of us.
Gradually reduce the use of the device in the evening and ensure that night mode is activated at least one hour before your desired bedtime.
Tackle back-to-school anxiety early
Make sure you have an opportunity every day in the two weeks leading up to school to talk openly about school-related concerns.
This will prevent any anxiety from building up that could disrupt your sleep as the first day approaches.
