It’s that time again — kids are heading back to school. Whether your child is going off to college or just starting kindergarten there are things you can do to help smooth the transition back to the classroom. Dr. Larry Scherzer, pediatrician at the UConn Health Center, has some advice on everything from healthy lunches to the best backpacks.

Sleep Tips
After a summer of sleeping in, getting your child back into a proper sleep schedule is challenging. “Remember that high school and junior high school have early start times, requiring early waking hours,” says Scherzer. “Teens will have a hard time functioning at optimal levels on limited sleep and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to make up sleep deficits on the weekend.”  So Scherzer says try to keep a consistent schedule and aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Limit time on social media and keep computers and televisions out of the bedroom – they can distract children from sleeping.

Preparing Healthy Lunches
Load their lunchboxes with a colorful mix of fruits and vegetables to keep them energized and ready to learn. Apples, pears, berries, and baby carrots are easy to pack – and fun to eat. “I don’t recommend dried fruit or roll-ups,” says Scherzer. “They are often sweetened and stick between teeth which can promote cavities.”  Offer whole grain, low-sugar cereals at breakfast and low-sodium whole grain snack bars or crackers in their lunch box. Try making sandwiches with whole grain bread (look for “100 percent whole wheat” on labels to get the most grains). Strengthen their bones and brains with nonfat or low-fat dairy foods, including yogurt and flavored milk (choose products with no more than 30 grams of sugar). “I don’t recommend juice, even 100 percent juice, as a snacking fluid,” adds Scherzer. “I suggest sticking with water, which can be flavored with a slice of lemon, lime or orange to make it more enticing to children. And energy drinks have no place in a child or teen’s diet.”

Backpack Tips
It’s best to limit the weight your child carries in a backpack to 10 to 20 percent of his or her body weight. Scherzer says to buy a backpack that has a waist strap as well as wide, padded shoulder straps and encourage your child to wear his backpack over both shoulders. Avoid messenger type, single strap bags. “Rolling backpacks can be difficult for younger children to maneuver, especially when there is uneven pavement,” adds Scherzer.

Other Healthy Habits for Children

• If your young child is slow to warm up to a new environment, for instance kindergarten, visit the school in advance and meet the teacher.
• Don’t forget flu shots in the fall!
• Set up a home work environment and establish good study habits early.
• Some kids need a daily agenda/schedule to stay on task and work efficiently.
• Try not to let your child be over-subscribed to courses, after-school programs, etc. However, if your child is not involved in any afterschool programs, like a sport, club, music/art activity, community volunteering, etc., try to encourage it.