Back-to-school tips: How parents can help kids adjust to new routines
Sep 14, 2026
A middle school counselor shares practical tips for adjusting schedules, limiting screen time and helping kids approach the new school year with confidence.
TOLEDO, Ohio — For students of every age, the return to school brings a familiar mix of excitement and unease. New teachers, new classmates and new routines which can leave even the most confident kids — and their parents — feeling a little off balance. According to Amanda Oberhouse, a middle school counselor at Ohio Virtual Academy, that nervousness is nothing to worry about, at least not on its own.
“Back to school nerves are really, really common for any student at any age,” Oberhouse said. “It’s new transitions, new teachers, new classmates, new routines. So really validating those feelings, nervousness, practicing coping skills, practicing transitions for the day are going to be super important to help any kid kind of go back to school.”
Start the routine before the first bell
One of the biggest mistakes parents make, Oberhouse said, is waiting until the first day of school to reset their child’s schedule.
“If we go into the mindset of, I’m gonna let them sleep in until school starts, their bedtimes don’t start until we start school, that is actually not setting them up for success,” she said. “Those need to be practiced. Our bodies need to be used to those schedules.”
Easing into an earlier bedtime and wake-up time in the days before school starts, she said, gives children’s bodies time to adjust before the academic pressure begins. It’s also important as the parent, and leader of the family, to choose the words they use carefully. Oberhouse also encourages parents to reframe how they talk about the end of summer. Rather than mourning lost vacation days, she suggests highlighting what’s still ahead.
“I tried to use some positive statements,” she said. “So instead of the summer is over, we still have a full month of summer here.” The goal, she said, is to help kids see the transition as a shift in schedule rather than an ending — “our schedule’s just changing a little bit.”
Make time for ‘brain breaks’
She also explained how shutting off technology to make room for “brain breaks” is a good way to avoid burnout. Screens are a constant presence in most households, Oberhouse said, which makes carving out unplugged time together increasingly important — for teenagers as much as for younger children.
“One of the things that I always work with my families is having brain breaks,” she said. “It’s a great time to talk to students. They’re on technology all the time, so setting those down, just having dinner together — doesn’t need to be an all-out, I want to go plan an exciting event for my whole family — but just some time to talk, maybe a walk around the block, those sorts of things to just get some conversations going with them.”
Even conversations with younger children that seem scattered or incomplete serve a purpose, she added. Talking with kids models the communication skills they’ll need later.
“We are actually showing them and practicing,” Oberhouse said. “They’re still working on those communication skills, so us talking with them is actually modeling great communication skills, so having those conversations sets them up for being in high school, after high school, being able to talk to all others.”
Keeping that dialogue open matters most once the school year is underway, she said, because it gives children a way to talk through struggles as they arise. Also, making sure to reframe the view of school as an opportunity for growth, not as a burden. Perhaps the biggest shift Oberhouse recommends is one of attitude. Rather than treating the new school year as a return to obligation, she encourages families to frame it as a season of growth.
Frame school as an opportunity
It’s also important to reframe school as an opportunity for growth, not as a burden. Perhaps the biggest shift Oberhouse recommends is one of attitude. Rather than treating the new school year as a return to obligation, she encourages families to frame it as a season of growth.
“School is exciting,” she said. “We get to see positive growth and change in all kiddos, and they’re accomplishing something. So instead of kind of looking at it as you have work to do, no, this is a time for you to grow and to find what interests you in school.”
Create a space for schoolwork
Finally, it’s best to set up not just your student, but the family for success. Oberhouse pointed to a practical step many families overlook: creating a designated homework space at home.
“A lot of times I see parents miss is they’re not setting up a good work environment within their home,” she said. “A spot for them to do their schoolwork at home… I know that is something you can involve older kids, younger kids in setting that up, limit the distractions, limit the technology, and have a space where they can focus at home as well.”
Taken together, Oberhouse’s advice boils down to a few core principles: adjust routines early, choose intentional language, protect time for real conversation, create a dedicated space for schoolwork and treat the new school year as a chance for growth rather than a loss.
“All right,” she said, summarizing her approach. “So intentional with words, brain breaks, a specific space dedicated to stuff, and then just like making sure you have a positive outlook, and then intentional with setting you up for success in terms of your schedule.”