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Compiled by Sherri Buri McDonald
It can be hard for families with children to transition from a hang-loose summer to a more structured school-year schedule. Here’s some just-in-time advice from two nationally known University of Oregon experts to help ease the way.
Ariel Williamson is an expert on children’s sleep. Jen Doty is an expert on youth and technology.
They’ve each shared their three top tips as we head into fall and a new school year.
Promoting better sleep
Ariel Williamson, an assistant professor at the UO’s Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health and the Department of Psychology, gives advice.
1. Start shifting your family’s summertime sleep schedule to better align with the school schedule.
Most children adjust more easily to gradual sleep schedule changes over several days. But that may be hard to do with families’ busy schedules. Even moving wake time 15-20 minutes earlier a few days before school starts can help kids and families adjust to a new schedule.
For children starting kindergarten, consider shortening or eliminating an afternoon nap if your child still takes one. That’s especially important if they will be in full-day kindergarten or after-school care
where a nap isn’t possible
For older kids and teens who’ve been staying up later during the summer, moving wake time earlier and avoiding naps will likely be easier than getting kids to bed earlier. Once a child is waking up earlier for a few days, it may be easier to move the bedtime earlier. Think about this shift like adjusting to a new time zone when traveling or during daylight saving time shifts. It may take a couple of weeks before your child and family are adjusted to the new schedule.
2. Develop a back-to-school bedtime routine
Bedtime routines can help prepare your body for sleep at any age. Research shows that in younger children, the more nights per week a child follows a bedtime routine, the better they sleep. Doctors usually recommend having a bedtime routine of two to four activities moving in the direction of bedtime, such as washing up, brushing teeth, and doing an activity you and your child enjoy, like reading or talking about the day.
Older children and teens also can benefit from a wind-down routine, especially one that helps them prepare for the next day, such as packing a backpack or laying out school clothes to make the morning a bit easier. If your child or teen watches shows or uses other electronic devices before bedtime, move electronics to earlier in the evening, before or at the start of the bedtime routine. Using electronics just before bedtime or while falling asleep can make it harder to get to bed early and to sleep well through the night.
3. Be aware of children’s sleep needs by age
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommendations about optimal sleep duration (total hours of nighttime plus daytime sleep) at every age, which were developed by researchers and doctors. Understanding how much sleep is recommended for your child is helpful, especially when trying to make sure your child gets enough sleep to be rested and ready to learn at school.
Keep in mind that these are guidelines, meaning that some children may need more or less sleep, depending on many different individual and environmental factors. Talk with your child’s doctor if you’re concerned about your child’s sleep needs.
Smarter ways to use technology
Jen Doty, an associate professor at the UO’s Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, weighs in.
1. Talk with your kids about what they enjoy about technology and encourage them to be mindful about how they feel after using technology.
Technology is a bit like a magnifying glass, research shows. Sometimes when young people are in a bad mood and go online, their mood is magnified. They’re more likely to go down dark rabbit holes or treat others poorly, which ends up making them feel worse. The opposite is also true. When teens are feeling positive, they’re more likely to interact in positive, creative ways online.
2. Educate kids about online risks
For example, we lose control of digital pictures once we send them, so teach children to ask, “If I send this picture out, would I be OK with everyone in my school seeing it?”
Another example would be to invite kids to think critically about who is trying to sell them things. You might also consider teaching children how algorithms work: Companies try to draw people in by giving them more of what they’ve clicked on because that’s how they build traffic to sell ads and make money. Getting kids’ input on healthy guidelines for family technology is a great way to get their buy-in.
The Family Media Plan by the American Academy of Pediatrics can help families customize their media time according to their own values and needs.
3. Create opportunities for in-person interactions
In my research I’ve found that teens say they use technology to connect with friends and get social support. They also say that sometimes backfires. One girl we interviewed told us she was looking forward to staying the night in a hotel with her friends for a school trip. She was disappointed when everyone in the room was glued to their phones instead of talking with each other.
Teens also are navigating the rise of AI companions. Common Sense Media recently released a report showing that 72 percent of adolescents age 13-17 have tried AI companions, and more than half use AI companions frequently. About a third are using AI companions to get social support.
This trend is concerning for two main reasons. First, the AI companions are not designed for youth, so they may get adult content. Second, AI companions are designed to entice users to stay on the platform for as long as possible. Unlike a real person, AI companions flatter you and tell you what you want to hear. That doesn’t prepare young people for real-life relationships.
One of the best things adults in kids’ lives can do is create opportunities for in-person interactions on a regular basis. That could be dinner time without phones, gatherings where all the teens put their phones in a basket for a couple of hours, or just going out to play mini-golf or go on a hike as a family.
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