Wake-Up Time, Not Bedtime: A Back-to-School Guide to Resetting Family Routines

Guest: Rachel Schopp, Founder of Allied Education — a K-12 veteran teacher, administrator, and curriculum lead who helps families translate school confusion into confident, informed action.In part two of our back-to-school mini-series, Dr. Courtney and educational consultant Rachel Schopp get practical about routines — why they matter far beyond logistics, how to reset sleep and screens without a fight, and how much routine structure actually looks different depending on your child's age. They also talk about giving parents (and kids) permission to have a "good enough" routine instead of a Pinterest-perfect one.What You'll Learn:Why routines function as a brain-building tool, not just a scheduling toolA realistic two-to-three-week timeline for resetting sleep before school startsWhy wake-up time matters more than bedtime when resetting a sleep scheduleWhy overhauling everything at once backfires — for kids and for parentsHow routines should shift with age: visual and repeatable for young kids, co-created for middle schoolers, self-owned for high schoolersHow to build in an hour of "buffer time" before bed for better sleepWhat a sustainable, "good enough" routine looks like on a hard weekHow stepping in to help occasionally (packing a bag, an easy breakfast) teaches empathy, not dependenceResources & Links:Rachel Schopp / Allied Education: https://www.youreducationally.com/Integrated Behavioral Health website: https://www.integratedbhs.com/Book a consult with Integrated Behavioral Health: Sign up for the Integrated Behavioral Health newsletterThis is Part 2 of a 4-part back-to-school mini-series. Catch Part 1 on school transitions, and check back for Part 3 on bringing up last year's concerns before Fall conferences.Legal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at [email protected] to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.