CHENANGO COUNTY – With the new school year fast approaching, parents and students alike are rapidly running out of time to prepare.

For parents, getting ready for their child’s return to school can be a stressful and a potentially costly period of time. On top of the monetary hassle of preparing for the new school year, children are often less than compliant in the process.

One way to ease the transition from the relaxed and undemanding lifestyle of summertime back into the rigors of education is to start preparing early. Taking care of the necessities, such as purchasing school supplies and updating immunizations early on are a must, say educators. However, it may also prove beneficial to ease children back into the school mindset on a physiological level earlier on.

Educators recommend that parents address the sleep cycles of soon-to-be students. Many kids develop different sleeping habits over the summer months which can prove detrimental to their education as well as burdensome on families when they “miss the bus.” The best way to avoid lack of sleep induced issues, they say, is to start getting children up earlier and earlier as the new school year draws near.