Many West Michigan students are heading back to school next week. So what should families be doing now to make the transition as smooth as possible?
13 ON YOUR SIDE's Meredith TerHaar spoke with holistic child psychologist Dr. Nicole Beurkens for some help.
"I like to think of prepping for back to school as the 4 S's," she explained.
"The first is SLEEP. Now is the time to start pushing that bedtime earlier so they are used to the earlier school night bedtimes when the time comes.
SCREENS: With many having spent at least part of last school year virtual, and with more free time this summer, kids have been spending a lot more time on screens. Now is the time to start weening them down.
SUPPLIES: What are they going to need? Get things prepared. Start getting in the mindset of school.
STRESS: Help to reduce kids' stress by starting to talk about what the schedule is going to be like and what they can expect. All of those types of things help to reduce their stress.
For more insights like these, visit Dr. Beurkens website.
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