Fall reset: How to get your family on a healthy schedule

Summertime is supposed to be laid-back and lazy, right? But summertime with kids always seems to get notoriously crazy.

When fall rolls around, many parents are grateful for the return to a routine. But the fall schedule can be a challenge to negotiate as well.

When planning out a daily routine, there are a couple of things that tend to slip under the radar more easily than others: Sleep and screens.

Sleep

The importance of adequate sleep cannot be emphasized enough, especially when it comes to kids.

When we don’t get enough sleep, things start to go off the rails. School-age children ages 6-12 years should get between 9-11 hours of sleep per day, while teenagers should get 8-10 hours per day. Adults need between 7-9 hours per day.

A good night's sleep can help kids fight off illness and stay healthy. Being well rested can also help boost mood and support good performance in all areas of your child’s life, whether in school, at the piano or on the soccer field.

• Set a regular bedtime and give your child about 30 minutes advance notice.
• Establish bedtime rituals, such as brushing teeth, reading a story and, for young children, snuggling with a favorite stuffed toy.
• Take the TV and video games out of the bedroom, and make sure all screens are off at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Make sure the bedroom is cool and well-ventilated.
• Don't give your child caffeinated beverages, such as cola or hot chocolate, before bed.

Screen time

The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that children spend an average of seven hours each day staring at screens, including television, computers, phones and tablets.

Studies show that too much media use can lead to attention problems, difficulty in school, sleep disruption, eating disorders and obesity, the academy reports. Phones also make it easy for kids to get involved in sexual or bullying behavior.

Try these ground rules for screen use, and watch your kids bloom:

• Offer non-electronic entertainment — old-fashioned stuff, like books, newspapers and board games. Read with your kids or play a game with them.
• Put a limit on screen time after schoolwork, and limit time-sucking apps or games.
• Do NOT put a television or video game system in your child’s bedroom.
• Turn the TV off and put smartphones away during dinner and family time.
• Create no-screen zones. Make screens off-limits in bedrooms and bathrooms.
• Don’t show kids under age 2 any screens, including television. Children’s brains undergo fast-paced development in those first years and interacting with people is how they learn best.

Creating a schedule

It’s challenging, to say the least, to figure out a workable schedule when school-age kids are involved in extracurricular activities or athletics and drag home a bag of homework.

It’s important to establish a routine that ensures your child gets enough sleep, enough physical activity, prioritizes homework and allows for some fun with friends.

Think about your child’s day in blocks of time and plan out an evening that includes blocks for homework, physical activity, mealtime and bedtime rituals.

• Homework. When it comes to homework, creating a regular routine is a good way to develop a habit. Most kids need some time to unwind after sitting in classrooms for six hours, but starting a schedule that is the same every school day, for example, a brief rest after school followed by homework time (maybe with a snack), will help kids get in a groove.

• Activity. Physical activity is important, whether it’s participating in sports or riding a bike around the neighborhood. Depending on what their children are involved in, parents can plug in a block of time for regular activity that helps establish a habit.

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends kids ages 6 to 17 get an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. It’s an important part of overall health and wellness. Another bonus of physical activity: It pulls kids away from a screen.

• Mealtime. Granted, it’s not always feasible to have a sit-down dinner together when kids are supposed to be in different places at different times. But making an effort to find time to eat together is more important than many realize.

  The American Academy of Pediatrics says eating meals as a family 3-4 times per week has been linked to a lower risk of obesity, teen pregnancy and substance misuse and as well as better academic performance and higher self-esteem.

  Eating together doesn’t have to be formal, and it doesn’t have to be dinner, either. Just make sure phones, televisions, computers and tablets are off, and figure out what works best with your family’s schedule.

Consistency is key and will help create a habit with the whole family on board.