Time change blues? Valley experts give advice to help kids adjust

HARLINGEN - "Go to bed."

"It's not even dark yet."

"Go to bed."

This fictionalized scenario of some very factual dialogues is taking place in homes all across the country as school children adjust to the change of daylight savings time.

The situation is further compounded by the pressure of final exams, said Norma Cabrera, who recently retired from the McAllen school district as the director of counseling.

"Many children experience stress and anxiety especially when they visit doctor's offices," said Cabrera, who still teaches at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

"As parents we can teach them self-regulation skills, breathing techniques, calming techniques, that help them calm themselves down whether they're at the doctor's office or right before they take an exam at school," she said.

March is Child Life Month, and although March is drawing to a close the matters pertaining to that are prevalent all year round. The observance is very important to the Harlingen school district, said Sylvia Gamboa, director of counseling.

"Child Life Month is about making sure we're recognizing the impact we can have on students and children to do better for them," Gamboa said. "We are recognizing that the adults in the lives of our children are there to support them whether they are going through stress or whether they are going through traumatic experiences. The systems we put in place are really geared toward ensuring our student's mental health and wellness."

To ensure that mental health and wellness for students, the district has begun training all staff members on how to address matters pertaining to children they meet every day, Gamboa said.

"We started with bus drivers, because we know how important their role is, because they are the first ones to see students at the beginning of the day and the last to see students at the end of the day," she said. "We understand that they are not counselors but it is important to be able to identify students in need and connect them with our mental health professionals in the district."

The district has been working with the kids to stay on track after the time change.

"We do recognize that students are needing to adjust their schedule and so we do encourage parents to bring them back to a schedule where they are able to get back to their normal patterns," she said. "That's really important for students."

The change in time can result in a lack of sleep for students as they adjust to that change, said Dr. Asim Zamir, a Brownsville pediatrician who is affiliated with Valley Regional Medical Center.

"They go to school and they are drowsy," he said. "They are unable to pay attention, and that affects their performance in school, and that leads to other problems, so the most focus that we advise parents is that we have them is to encourage sleep."

How can they do that?

Students raise their hands during a class session. (Adobe Stock)

"Take away the iPads or phone an hour early," Zamir said. "Prepare dinner early. Little kids, toothbrush, washing, reading a book, cuddling, kind of like those things so they will know it's time for bed."

He also stressed the importance of exercise.

"Try to encourage them to do exercise close to that time so they can get tired and unwind an hour or two before going to bed," he said.

That's what the Rev. Nathan Wendorf and his wife do with their four kids every night.

"We're kind of a ‘no devices at the dinner table,' our kids have very strict usage of them," said Wendorf, who is pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Harlingen. They have kids at the elementary, middle school, and high school level.

Wendorf said their kids aren't allowed to use devices at home during school days as they use them all day at, well, school.

"At home they don't need any more time on the devices," he said.

What they do get is "family time."

"Last night a played a card game with my kids, a Skip-Bo, a real physical game," he said. "We get out in the back yard and jump on the trampoline and throw the ball around. Doing real physical things helps manage stress too. They are being active. It's not just playing the game, it's also teaching them how to win and how to lose."

And then there's also the reading, and the talking and the praying and simple things that hold together all things grand and powerful and real.

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