Summer’s gone

As the summer holiday ends, parents will struggle to adjust their children back to a school routine

The once unclogged arterial roads are now blocked again, as parents strive to get their children to their schools on time. (Lee Hoagland/The National)

The summer holiday has ended and children are back to school this week after long months of relaxed routine. The once unclogged arterial roads are now blocked again, as parents strive to get their children to their schools on time.
The end of summer means a total change of routine for many children, from staying up late to sleeping early, and from spending long hours playing video games to (spending rather fewer) studying and doing homework. The first weeks of term are always the toughest on both children and their parents to organise schedules and work out ways to fix sleeping patterns, improve diets, plan school activities and mentally prepare their children for school.
Getting children to stick to a strict bedtime routine is probably the hardest but most important task. As The National reported last week, lack of sleep can have a negative impact on children's cognitive processes, impairing their attention in the classroom and affecting their thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills.
The role of parents in supporting children to adjust to their school routine and improve their performance is critical and requires time and attention throughout the academic year. Parents, if you are reading this after 11pm, are your little ones in bed?