Across the nation, students from kindergarten to college and their parents are gearing up for the beginning of the school year. It’s a big change in routine for everyone, especially after a long, fun summer.
To help everyone make a smooth transition, the University of Iowa is offering a list of experts who can talk about everything from helping a child get on the right sleep schedule to what a college student should and shouldn’t bring when moving into their dorm room.
RESOURCES FOR K-12
General readiness for school, especially younger children
Expert: Deborah Linebarger, associate professor, UI College of Education
Expert contact: deborah-linebarger@uiowa.edu or 319-335-1184
Expert: Deborah Lin-Dyken, clinical associate professor of pediatrics at UI Children’s Hospital and pediatric sleep specialist
Expert contact: deborah-lin-dyken@uiowa.edu or 319-384-9261
Dyken’s tips to help get kids on a sleep schedule:
- Start enforcing wake-up times. Parents may need to slowly move both bedtime and wake-up times to correlate with the school schedule.
- Limit the bedroom for sleeping. Remove TV, computer, video games, cell phones from the bedroom. Do not use the bedroom for “timeout.”
- Engage in quiet activities before bed. Read to your kids, so they get “parent time” and are inspired to read.
- Encourage moderate exercise or physical activity daily, but not within four hours of bedtime. Avoid caffeine.
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Backpack-related injuries in children 18 and under
Expert: Dr. Stuart Weinstein, pediatric orthopedic surgeon at UI Hospitals and Clinics; and professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, UI Carver College of Medicine; past president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Expert contact: stuart-weinstein@uiowa.edu or 319-356-1872
Weinstein recommends:
- Limiting the load in a child’s backpack to no more than 15 percent of the child's body weight.
- Teaching kids to use both shoulder straps when wearing backpacks, rather than slinging the pack over one shoulder.
- Purchasing backpacks at sporting goods stores, where you can find quality packs that will properly distribute weight.
- Encouraging your child’s school to help teach good back health by inviting an orthopedic surgeon to speak at health classes or assemblies.
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Helping children adjust to transitions, big and small
Expert: Kristen Missall, associate professor, UI College of Education
Areas of expertise: School readiness and early school adjustment, including big transitions such as moving from middle school to high school.
Expert contact: kristen-missall@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5007
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How to identify bullying and how to help your child
Marizen Ramirez talks about how to recognize and overcome bullying.
Expert: Marizen Ramirez, assistant professor, UI College of Public Health
Areas of expertise: Bullying, school-based injuries and violence.
Expert contact: marizen-ramirez@uiowa.edu or 319-335-4425
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RESOURCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS
What students should/shouldn’t bring for their dorm room