By Paige Orr, FOX23.com News Staff
OWASSO, Okla. — As families across Green Country dust off backpacks and finish up supply lists, local doctors say getting ready for the first day of class is about way more than just buying new clothes and classroom supplies.
Dr. Shannan Bond, a pediatrician with Ascension St. John in Owasso, says taking a few proactive steps at home right now can make a huge difference for a student’s physical and mental health.
One of the biggest adjustments for children returning to the classroom is adjusting to a school-year sleep schedule. Doctors recommend shifting bedtimes and wake-up times a little earlier each night ahead of the first day.
“Sleep is very important,” Dr. Bond said. “Kids need about 9 to 11 hours each night for proper sleep, depending on their age. Sleep helps with attention and focus and memory and emotional regulation.”
Along with sleep, back-to-school jitters and anxiety are common concerns for parents. Dr. Bond says stress can look different depending on a child’s age.
“In younger kids, it may present as headaches or stomachaches. Older kids, it may present as irritability or withdrawal or just change in sleep patterns,” Dr. Bond said. “It’s best to just really validate their feelings instead of saying, ‘Oh, it’ll be fine.’ Ask them, like, ‘What are you excited about?’ or ‘What are you nervous about?’ and just really talking that through.”
She suggests parents consider doing a practice run of driving or walking the route to school or attending meet-the-teacher events to help ease those fears.
Dr. Bond also reminds parents not to skip annual well-child checkups. While sick visits focus on short-term illnesses, annual checks track growth and overall health.
“It’s important to get those well-child checks to really go over their growth, making sure they’re meeting all their developmental milestones, looking at hearing and vision, and really just identifying any issues before it becomes a problem,” Dr. Bond said.
Parents with student-athletes are also advised to schedule sports physicals early. Physicals evaluate heart, joint, and muscle health, as well as concussion history, to ensure students are cleared before hitting the field.
Once the school year is underway, Dr. Bond says keeping consistent, quality conversations going at home can help students feel supported all semester long. Instead of asking a broad question like “How was school today?”, she recommends asking specific questions such as “What was the best part of your day?” to encourage kids to open up.
