Back to School Tips for the New School Year

You may think it’s a bit early for back to school tips, but that fresh school year is right around the corner! Angela Trackwell, FNP-C, is a certified family nurse practitioner at Gateway Primary Care, as well as the PEC Team APP Champion. Check out Angela’s simple and effective tips to help ease your family back into the rhythm of school.

Angela encourages us to get back to the routine. “Being out of school for the summer, it is easy to stay up too late and get out of your routine,” Angela says. “Work on getting back to a normal school routine with sleep at least a couple weeks before school starts.” You might start by moving bedtimes and wake-up times 15 minutes earlier every few days. Build in room for a longer sleep time if you think your kiddos may need more sleep to recover from the demands of school than they do to handle the freedoms of summer.

Angela’s second tip? Practice being organized and ready for the school day. “Being focused while at school can be hard without organization. Get in the habit of having everything packed and clothes picked out the night before.” It may be helpful to have a list visible for your kids so that they can learn to gather their own things. Use a list with pictures if your little people don’t read yet. The payoff of this organization? “This makes mornings less hectic and can help with focus once you get to school.”

To round all of this out, Angela’s last tip puts emphasis on the first meal of the day. “Get in the habit of eating a healthy breakfast. This is the fuel that you will need to start your day and stay focused.” There’s no single breakfast that will fit the bill for everyone. However, a meal containing protein and some healthy fat will help keep tummies satiated longer, which is especially important if lunchtime comes later in the day than your kids are used to. As much as possible, limit added sugar and ultra-processed foods as these can cause energy crashes soon after eating.

Many thanks to Angela Trackwell, FNP-C, for taking the time to share ways to get ready for back-to-school. Gateway Hancock Health wishes all our families a smooth transition back to school this year!