Back-to-school season is upon us. Starting a new school year can be such a stressful time for kids. This is especially true if there are changes from their previous year like new school, new classmates, and new teachers.

Help your children ease into the school year anxiety free with these expert tips.

Make it fun

While going back-to-school can be stressful, it can also be a lot of fun. Turn school supplies shopping into a fun activity. Also, help your child select a nice outfit for the first day of class.

Get them excited about going back to school by reminding them of the fun things that are in store such as seeing their old friends and meeting new ones.

Back-to-school sleep schedule

Kids need way more sleep than most people realize. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children aged 3 to 5 require 10 to 13 hours of sleep. While school-aged children require 9 to 11 hours of sleep.

If your kids have been staying up late all summer, then you should adjust their sleeping schedule 2 weeks before school starts. Adjust bed time gradually. Wake them up 15 minutes earlier each day and put them to bed 15 minutes earlier. That way, when the first day of school arrives, they’ll be ready and adjusted to sleeping the right amount while still waking up for school at the right time.

Have a family meeting

Have a brief family meeting to discuss homework rules, after school programs, after school snack options etc. You can also talk about their friends how they feel about going back to school.

This will help keep the line of communication among family members open. Plus, it’s a way of re-assuring your kids that you’ll be available for support and that they can talk to you about anything.

Kids need downtime

We know that there are lots of wonderful extracurricular activities for your kids. However, you should also give them ample time to relax and have a proper downtime.

When kids are structured and engaged all the time, they miss out on those small moments full of fun and giggles. Let them be kids. Give them that unplanned time to do what they want.