Here are five tried and tested steps parents can take to help teenage children cope with the morning school rush and develop steady, healthy school routines, writes Anitha Bennett

With in-person school having restarted for secondary students countrywide after the unprecedented 64-weeks pandemic lockdown of education institutions, numerous adolescents are experiencing difficulty transitioning from online to in-person classes. For almost 16 months, teenage children have become accustomed to learn-from-home schedules.

Now, they need to get back to the routine of packing school bags, waking up early, taking the school bus, completing homework assignments, etc. Here are five tried and tested steps parents can take to help teenage children cope with the morning school rush and develop steady, healthy school routines and discipline that will hold them in good stead throughout their lives.

Pack/plan for the day ahead. This is a no-brainer, but not for adolescents. Many are used to completing tasks at the last-minute. A few words of advice from parents the previous night will encourage your teenage child to get ready for the next school day — uniform, school bag, textbooks, assignments, etc. You could also plan the snack/lunch box menu. However encourage her to pack her own snack/lunch box.

Keep duplicates. Teenage children, who are undergoing umpteen physical and psychological changes, tend to be unorganised and indecisive. Nagging them to complete chores won’t help. Set an example by organising your tasks well. Keep extra house/vehicle keys, water bottles, snack boxes and stationery. Set up a docking station for these last-minute on-the-go articles in a basket near the door.

Simplify breakfast. Elaborate meals may drain your energy at the beginning of the day and eat into precious time as well. Go for quick and healthy meals such as poha, idlis, dosas, muesli, or cornflakes with fruit and nuts. A simple way to add nutrients to the all-important breakfast meal is to include fruit, dry fruits, nuts and milk. Stress the importance of the first meal of the day to your teen, and insist on her breakfasting every day.

Set the right tone. If children see you lounging in nightwear when they are rushing to school, it may demotivate them. Get dressed before the children wake up. And set the mood for the morning by playing their favourite music, preferably classical music.

Keep shadow deadlines. It’s good to set shadow deadlines for important tasks. If the school bus is arriving at 8:00 a.m, set 7:30 as the shadow deadline. This is advisable as it will give her enough time to sort out last-minute goof-ups.