BY DANA FERNANDEZ, ODT, OTR/L
Can you believe August is already here? While we are all trying to soak up these last remaining weeks of summer, the looming shift back to school routines can trigger a bit of anxiety—for both kids and parents.
A successful school day requires a lot from a child: sustained attention, fine motor stamina, emotional regulation, and constant transitions between high-energy and low-energy environments. The secret to a smooth September? Starting the transition in mid-August. Here are four practical, OT-approved strategies to help your child gear up for the upcoming school year.
1. Shift the Internal Clock (gradually)
The abrupt jump from 9:00 AM summer wake-ups to a 6:30 AM school alarm is a recipe for morning meltdowns. The brain and body need time to adjust.
- The 15-Minute Rule: Starting two weeks before school starts, shift bedtime and wake-up times earlier by just 15 minutes every 2–3 days.
- Dry Runs: Role-play what bedtime and morning routines will look like before the first official day of school, so the expectations are clear.
2. Gamify “Executive Function” Routines
Executive functioning is the brain’s management system—it’s what helps us plan, organize, and execute tasks. School requires a lot of it, from packing backpacks and gathering supplies to following multi-step directions.
- Visual Checklists: Kids are highly visual. Instead of repeating a list of chores, create a simple checklist with pictures for their morning and evening routines. Start practicing with it now so that when school begins, your child already knows exactly how to use it.
3. Build Up “Hand Stamina”
During the summer, kids often swap pencils for screens. Coming back to typing, cutting, and writing for hours at a time can cause real physical hand fatigue.
- Fine Motor Workouts: Give those hand muscles a workout before the bell rings. Heavy-resistance play—like squeezing lemons to make fresh lemonade, using spray bottles to water plants, or drawing with sidewalk chalk—is a fantastic way to build up hand endurance and prepare your child for classroom success.
4. Create a “Calm Down” Spot
The transition from a highly structured, sensory-heavy school environment back home can cause a phenomenon known as “after-school restraint collapse.” Kids hold it together all day, only to explode the second they hit their safe zone.
- Design a Reset Zone: Find a designated spot in the home where your child can go—not for a time-out, but to reset. Create this space with your child by adding regulatory tools like pillows, headphones, fidgets, or chewy tubes. Set gentle rules and expectations together for how this spot will be used.
Good luck with this upcoming school year!
