Love it or dread it, back-to-school season is upon us. This time of year can inspire all kinds of feelings, from excitement to stress and anxiety — and everything in between.
To help you and your family stay calm amid the frenzy of adjusting to a new, busier schedule, we checked in with Dr. Abby Smolcich, a Pediatrician with ThedaCare Physicians Pediatrics-Darboy. Here, she tackles your most pressing questions.
Back-to-School FAQs
My kids got used to staying up and waking up later over the summer. How can I transition them back?
Two or three weeks before the beginning of the school year, start to gradually transition bedtimes and wake times back to where they were during the school year. If kids normally go to bed at 8 p.m. during the school year, and they’ve been staying up till 9 p.m. during the summer, spend a couple of days going to bed at 8:45. Then spend a couple more days at 8:30 and transition backward that way. Same scenario for wake times. Awaken your child 15 minutes earlier every few days until they’re back on track.
Sleep is so important. Kids need a lot of sleep, especially for their brains to function and concentrate at school, so make this a priority.
Kids’ backpacks are so heavy these days. What are the guidelines?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that backpacks should not weigh more than about 5% to 10% of a child’s total body weight. If it’s more than that, it can lead to other issues. You may get the “hunchback” that can lead to neck and back pain. You can also have increased risk of falls because you’re off balance. I always encourage families and kids, if there’s something that you don’t need to bring home, leave it at school.
I heard about changes to the vaccines required for school. What are those?
New for 2024-25, the State of Wisconsin requirements for schools state that kids should receive their first dose of meningitis vaccine before entering seventh grade. It’s so important to keep yourself healthy and keep other kids healthy. I always encourage parents, if you have questions about vaccines, reach out to your child’s pediatrician or provider so they can explain that a little bit more to you.
My kids want to be on screens all the time — help! What’s my plan here?
The recommendation is to spend no more than one to two hours of screen time outside of work and school. In the summertime, sometimes that gets relaxed. That’s normal. But once we transition back to school year, it’s important to get back to that limit of one to two hours.
Limits can be hard for parents to implement. It could be as simple as we set a timer and here’s your hour of time. Or we do a half an hour now and a half an hour after dinner. It can help kids to have that visual or auditory reminder.
In addition, sometimes kids can run into things online that we as parents don’t want them to encounter. It’s important to set parental controls and monitor what your kids are watching and doing online. If you do find something seems inappropriate for your kids, it’s time to block that. In addition, encourage open conversations with your child.
My kiddo is feeling nervous about starting school. Any tips?
This is very normal for kids. They have new teachers, maybe new friends in their class, new expectations. All of us have experienced nerves about new situations at one point or another. Have an open, honest conversation. It can mean a lot hearing, “Oh, Mom was nervous when she had to do this. So, it’s OK that I’m nervous.”
I’m already dreading the ‘should they stay or should they go’ decision around what to do when my child feels sick. How do I decide?
When your child isn’t feeling well, assess what’s going on. Some of the issues, you could potentially still send the child to school. On the flipside, there are other concerns where it’s not appropriate to send your kids to school.
Vomiting is an example of a time when your child should stay home. They can return to school after they’re symptom-free for 24 hours. Fever is another instance. When you have a fever, your body is fighting something off. That’s a period of time when you can be the most contagious. That increases the risk of spreading sickness to others.
Other symptoms warrant a conversation and deciding whether the child could try school and see how things go. Headaches are an example. Sometimes headaches can result from an illness. Sometimes they can come on for other reasons, such as poor sleep, dehydration, or feeling nervous. Stomachaches are another symptom where you can encourage your child to go to school and see how the day goes. Reassure them that you can pick them up if they feel worse throughout the day.
If there’s a symptom or situation that you’re unsure about, you can call your provider’s office and ask for advice. Your child’s care team can help steer you in the right direction.
Your Proactive Partner
The goal of your child’s provider is the same as yours: to help them remain healthy and thriving as they grow. They’re here to help you navigate any concerns that may arise.
