By Saira Cabrera

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 5, 2024 – As summer concludes, families are gearing up for the back-to-school season.

To help combat the stress of returning to class, Dr. Laura Manzanilla Luberti – an American Board-Certified family medicine doctor practicing at UT Health RGV and an assistant professor for Primary and Community Care at the UTRGV School of Medicine – shares helpful guidance for parents on how to prepare school-age children to be ready for school.

A ROUTINE FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

To ensure a healthy and productive school year, getting children to bed early can help ensure a smoother transition.

Parents can start by looking at a child’s bedtime, especially if it was pushed back later during the summer.

"Start bringing bedtime back down so children can wake up early when school starts," Manzanilla Luberti said.

Parents can do this by working on bedtime and schedule adjustments to ensure a good night's sleep. 

"Start by getting children to bed early," she said. "Depending on when they will be returning to school, you can go a bit slower by doing an hour earlier every day, until they get to the usual bedtime during the school year."

If students start school sooner, parents should bring down their usual bedtime and ensure children wake up earlier.   

"It will be better for children to spend one day tired at home rather than have that first day of school be a blur because they are so tired," she said.

AS IMPORTANT AS SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Making sure that children are getting enough sleep and are healthy and up-to-date on their vaccines and well-checks before school is as important as getting their backpacks and supplies ready, if not more so.  

"Ensure students are up to date on their wellness checks and vaccines so they are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," Manzanilla Luberti said. "And if they are going to need sports physicals to participate in school activities, visit your doctor and bring the form with the front history part completed when coming in for wellness checks."

Healthy nutrition, too, is as essential as wellness checks and vaccines. She suggests that children consume healthy, balanced foods from the top five food groups, including dairy, fruits, grains, protein and vegetables.

"It is vital for parents and caretakers to moderate children's sugar intake because high-calorie diets can result in childhood obesity and potential dental complications, such as cavities," she said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also suggests packing a healthy lunch, which could include:

• Making sandwiches with whole wheat bread, not white.
• Avoiding processed luncheon meats.
• Packing whole fresh fruits, or vegetables like carrots or celery sticks.
• Replacing soda and juices with fat-free milk or water (reports have shown that each 12-ounce soda can contain the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar; and 100% fruit juices can contain just as much sugar, or more).

"Allow children to select from among two healthy snacks, like sliced apples or broccoli," Manzanilla Luberti said. "In doing this, children are allowed to make some choices and be independent, but parents can still maintain control over what is in their lunch bags." 

OPEN COMMUNICATION

Parents should also talk to their children about what they can expect if they move to a new school or if they will have a new schedule.

"Going back to school can be stressful, so it's important for children to be able to talk to their parents about the issues they face at school," Manzanilla Luberti said, "especially for the first day and week, but even after that."

She suggests that parents sit with their children without phones or screens present to interrupt them, so children know they can come and talk to them.

"Even if it's just 15 or 30 minutes, talk or have a screen-free dinner together as a family. That will open that communication," Manzanilla Luberti said. "Kids need to hear and see that their parents are interested in them and what happens during their day."

BACKPACKS: LIGHTEN UP!  

Lastly, when buying children their backpacks and after that first week of school, Manzanilla Luberti stresses the importance of ensuring that the weight they carry throughout the day is not too much for their bodies, and that they use the straps on both shoulders rather than just one. 

"Parents should empty the backpack of anything their children do not need, so they avoid carrying excess weight through the day," she said.

She said returning to school can be stressful for children and parents alike, but setting a routine and talking to children before they start is necessary, so they know what to expect.

“These are practical measures that can ensure children are set up for success, starting right from the beginning of the school year,” she said.

UT Health RGV experts are available for health visits and wellness checkups for the back-to-school season, at the UT Health RGV Primary & Urgent Care facility at 3804 S. Jackson Road in Edinburg. (UTRGV Archival Photo)