Back to School: Tips to help older students adjust to a new routine

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - School starts Monday for tens of thousands of students across Central Virginia, which means catching school buses, using Chromebooks and adjusting to new teachers and schedules. We have some tips from the experts for parents of older students about getting back into the swing of things.

It doesn’t matter how old your kids are, talking about back to school still helps them. This includes topics from cell phones to sleep.

One of the biggest concerns for any age group is sleep. Talk with your teens about getting enough sleep and why it’s important. This includes making sure they stay off the cell phone late at night.

“We always say have those courageous conversations with middle school and high school students about social media. Talk about limiting their time on their cell phones as well as on social media,” said Dr. Tynisa Giles, coordinator of School Social Work Services, Chesterfield County Public Schools. “Ask them how do they feel about going into middle school and high school. Look at their schedules. Have conversations about the different contents and classes that they’ll be matriculating in.”

Plan ahead for catching the bus or getting to school. Figure out now what the plan is and how the student will get ready and out the door prepared in time.

Giles also urges parents to talk to their older children about getting more involved at school.

“Look at what other activities that they can be a part of ... it doesn’t have to be a sports event,” said Giles. “It can be some type of club, social club, that’s actually in the schools that are available for students to participate in.”

Remember that it might not be a smooth adjustment to a new school year. They’re still developing, growing and building relationships.

“And it’s okay to not feel okay,” said Giles. “And just to be open about having those conversations as a family about how your day goes.”

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