If your family is finding it difficult to establish solid routines a few weeks into the school year, it’s not too late. Here are a few ideas to help your family get on track.

Support good homework and study habits.

Making education a priority in your home will benefit your child because homework reinforces what they learned during the school day, said school-based telehealth nurse practitioner Jillian Berkshire, APRN-CNP, of Aultman Orrville Carrollton Health Center.

“Homework comes first,” Berkshire said on a recent Health Matters radio program. “We may have other things we want to do or other commitments we’re involved in, but the homework has to get done.”

It’s best to set aside a specific time for homework. “It’s easier for kids to have less resistance if it’s just part of our daily routine: Get home from school, have a little snack, have a little downtime and then get that homework done,” she said. “And once it’s done, kids feel a whole lot better.”

Help your child develop good hygiene habits.

Personal hygiene habits can help kids feel fresh and clean – and good hygiene such as hand-washing can actually cut down on the spread of diseases.

Teach your kids the basics of hygiene: Everyone needs to bathe, brush their teeth, brush their hair, have good nail hygiene and practice good hand-washing habits.

“Also think about age-appropriate conversations, like is it time for your child to be wearing deodorant?” Berkshire said. “And girls in adolescence go through a lot of changes in their lives. Just having things on hand at home for those times and being prepared can help relieve some of those stresses.”

Help your kids limit screen time.

Many kids work on laptops or tablets throughout the school day, so they have already spent a good part of their day facing a screen even before they get home.

You can set boundaries around screen time at home by having kids focus on other priorities first, such as homework and chores. Make established routines for age-appropriate chores, so that kids know what they are expected to accomplish each day.

In addition, most devices have parental controls where you can set a time limit. “Sometimes, setting that limit right on the device is a bit easier,” Berkshire said. “You don’t have to be in that dynamic of having an argument or conversation where they’re begging for more time.”

Encourage your child to play outside, too – it has a wealth of physical and mental health benefits. “Being in the sun, feeling the grass, digging in the dirt – kids don’t get those experiences on a screen,” Berkshire said.

And be sure to stop screen use about an hour before bedtime.

Establish bedtime routines.

Good sleep is essential for health and emotional well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids from ages 6-12 need about nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, while teens should get eight to 10 hours of sleep.

“Focus on a process for getting to bed – like after dinner, we have a little downtime and then you get your shower or bath, brush your teeth and then have a few moments to listen to music or read and wind down into that normal sleep pattern,” Berkshire said.

Setting a bedtime routine can be difficult when the family has many evening extracurricular activities. But even if activities sometimes run later, keep with the routine even if it has to be shortened.

If setting all these routines seems overwhelming, start them one at a time. Get a homework rhythm going, for example, and then tackle screen time. The results will be well worth it.