KDSN RADIO News
- 7 day News Menu
- NW Iowa Brewery with Roots in Schleswig to Produce a Beer for Schleswig’s 125th Celebration
- Study shows many Iowa seniors don’t take advantage of potential benefits
- Steps Iowa moms and dads can take to ease kids back into the school year
- After long absence, paddlefish to be restocked in Iowa Great Lakes
- House built by Sioux City students goes to South Dakota flood victims
- 439 Century and Heritage Farm Families Honored at the 2024 Iowa State Fair
- 42nd Annual Carstens Farm Days September 7th and 8th
- Farmers’ Almanac predicts Iowa will face ‘Wet Whirlwind’ in winter ahead
- Corkery says Iowa ESA program is ‘Christianizing’ next generation
- 18-year-old from Weldon says being Iowa State Fair Queen is dream come true
- Cyclists will soon have a 120-mile loop to ride in central Iowa
- Hats Off To Educators
- Sac City Police Department Requesting the Public's assistance in locating Amy Lyn Heitman, age 44, of Sac City
- Iowa Transportation Commission approves funds for airport improvement projects in Carroll, Creston and Denison
- Charges filed in Fremont County Neglect/Abandonment and Child Endangerment case
- Big Prize Lottery ticket will expire in one month
- Groundbreaking Ceremony Held at CCMH for Construction and Remodeling Project
- Baccam says voters’ number one issue is public schools’ survival
- Small town Iowa is setting for new novel, as well as locale for book’s launch
- Melton says it’s shameful to scapegoat immigrants
- Bohannan says Miller-Meeks playing politics on immigration issue
- Libertarian presidential nominee says major parties treat voters like dupes
- Iowa parents need to regulate who sees those back-to-school photos
- Congressman Nunn says situation at southern border is greatest threat to US
- Challenges to ballot spots for Iowa Libertarians running for US House
- New attendance record set on Saturday at the Iowa State Fair
- Two dead in shooting at I-29 Speedway car show and concert
- 1420 pounds! 2024 Iowa State Fair’s ‘big boar’ sets weighty record
- Apartment Fire at Hillside Apartments in Denison Thursday Night
- Crawford County Hunger Fighters food distribution is planned for Tuesday August 20th
- Herd of rare Mustangs to be temporarily corralled in Iowa
- Train derailment in Montgomery County: No Hazard to the public
- Odebolt News
- Testing in northwest Iowa for natural hydrogen trapped underground
- ‘Festival of Ideas’ planned for Des Moines this weekend
- $1.2 million legal settlement after Iowa City teen’s death following misdiagnosis
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Steps Iowa moms and dads can take to ease kids back into the school year
Iowa parents are encouraged to make a few proactive moves this week that may help their kids make a smoother transition back to school.
Autumn Hartman is a counselor who works with youth atRosecrance Behavioral Healthin Sioux City. She suggests starting the school-year routines right away, including a nightly bedtime and an earlier wake-up time.
“When we have a set routine, our body adjusts to that, and then it just becomes like a normal pattern. If we’re not in that pattern by the time that school returns, sometimes our sleep might be affected by that,” Hartman says. “Maybe our moods are going to be affected by that. And ultimately, we know that when we don’t have a good night’s sleep, it affects our productivity.”
Autumn Hartman (Rosecrance photo)
If the family has moved over the summer or if it’s a new school for the child, Hartman says it may help to arrange a tour of the school in advance.
“A lot of schools have been doing this. They do an open house, and that gives them the opportunity to tour their classrooms, get their schedule, find their locker — if they use lockers, get to meet some of their teachers,” Hartman says. “It really helps not only ease the child’s anxiety, but also parents’ anxiety about, ‘This is a brand new school district. What is this going to look like for my child?'”
If you haven’t bought school supplies yet, Hartman says to bring the child along for the shopping spree and get them involved.
“You’ll learn a little bit more about them, but then it also gets them really excited, ‘I’m getting this type of thing, I’m going to be excited to use this. I’m going to have that memory of when I went shopping with my mom or my dad,'” she says. “It really just gets their creativity flowing. It gets them in that mindset of going back to school, and can even be very exciting.”
Parents should also talk to their kids about school before — and after — it starts, giving them a chance to express their concerns and goals.
Hartman says, “Just ask them, ‘Hey, I know school is coming back up. What are some things you’re looking forward to? What are some classes you’re taking? What are some of the things that maybe are making you a little anxious about going back to school?’ or if it’s a new school, ‘What can I do as a parent to help?’ and make sure that you’re listening to them all the time.”
Focusing on mental preparedness and emotional support can pave the way for a smoother and more positive start to the school year, she says.
Rosecrance facilities in Iowa serve more than 7,000 teens and adults every year at outpatient treatment clinics in Sioux City, Cherokee, Davenport, Estherville, Le Mars, Spencer and Sheldon.
Full News Listings