{"id":2875,"date":"2025-08-20T18:26:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T18:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/?p=2875"},"modified":"2025-10-13T16:19:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T16:19:45","slug":"how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The school year is officially underway, and while excitement is in the air, it\u2019s also common for children to feel overwhelmed as they transition back into routines. Parents can play a big role in helping kids settle in smoothly\u2014whether they\u2019re starting kindergarten, navigating middle school, or preparing for high school success. Here are some practical, age-specific tips for you to help your child adjust to back-to-school life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For Young Children (Elementary School)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Establish routines early.<\/strong>\u00a0Consistent morning and bedtime routines help children feel secure. Post a simple chart with pictures (wake up, brush teeth, get dressed, pack backpack) to make mornings smoother.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create a positive send-off.<\/strong>\u00a0A cheerful goodbye ritual\u2014like a hug, high five, or encouraging phrase\u2014gives young kids confidence as they start their day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Talk about their day.<\/strong>\u00a0Ask specific, open-ended questions such as \u201cWhat was the best game you played at recess?\u201d instead of \u201cHow was school?\u201d to get them sharing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Middle Grades (Grades 6\u20138)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Balance independence and support.<\/strong>\u00a0Middle schoolers often want more freedom but still need structure. Help them set up a planner or digital calendar, then check in regularly without micromanaging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stay connected socially.<\/strong>\u00a0Encourage involvement in clubs, sports, or activities that align with their interests. Friendships built outside of class can make school feel more welcoming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Normalize stress.<\/strong>\u00a0Remind them that adjusting to a new schedule, more homework, and changing friendships is normal. Share your own middle school stories so they don\u2019t feel alone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High School Students (Grades 9\u201312)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Encourage responsibility.<\/strong>\u00a0High school is practice for adulthood. Support your teen in managing their time, balancing academics, extracurriculars, and part-time jobs, while still checking in to ensure they\u2019re not overwhelmed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prioritize healthy habits.<\/strong>\u00a0Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are often overlooked as teens get busier. Remind them that rest is key to better focus and grades.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Talk about the future.<\/strong>\u00a0High schoolers may feel pressure about college or careers. Use back-to-school as a chance to have open conversations about goals\u2014without making every discussion about grades or test scores.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Transitions take time, but with patience, structure, and encouragement, children of all ages can thrive as they settle back into school life. By adjusting routines, offering support, and keeping lines of communication open, you can help your child adjust to back-to-school life, allowing your child to start the year with confidence. Want a few more tips? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/in-practice\/202508\/5-tips-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-going-back-to-school\">Check here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a parent who loves back-to-school season because you enjoy helping children learn, consider becoming a teacher yourself. With <a href=\"http:\/\/www.americanboard.org\">American Board\u2019s online teacher certification program<\/a>, you can earn your certification quickly, affordably, and on your own schedule. Thousands of parents and career changers use our program to step into the classroom and make a lasting impact. Start your journey today and turn your passion for learning into a teaching career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The school year is officially underway, and while excitement is in the air, it\u2019s also common for children to feel overwhelmed as they transition back into routines. Parents can play a big role in helping kids settle in smoothly\u2014whether they\u2019re starting kindergarten, navigating middle school, or preparing for high school success. Here are some practical, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[139,146],"class_list":["post-2875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parent-education-resources","tag-education-in-the-news","tag-education-resources-for-parents"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life - American Board Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Help your child adjust to back-to-school life with practical tips for students of all ages. Support routines, learning, and confidence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life - American Board Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Help your child adjust to back-to-school life with practical tips for students of all ages. Support routines, learning, and confidence.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"American Board Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/abcte\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-20T18:26:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T16:19:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1572\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Melanie Olmstead\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@abcte\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@abcte\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Melanie Olmstead\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Melanie Olmstead\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/eefc59a14c151297ca3019bcdfea97c6\"},\"headline\":\"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-20T18:26:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T16:19:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":480,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Education in the News\",\"Education Resources for Parents\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Parent Education Resources\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life - American Board Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-20T18:26:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T16:19:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"Help your child adjust to back-to-school life with practical tips for students of all ages. Support routines, learning, and confidence.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1572},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"American Board Blog\",\"description\":\"Information about Teacher Certification\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/Untitled-2_preview.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/Untitled-2_preview.png\",\"width\":250,\"height\":250,\"caption\":\"American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/abcte\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/abcte\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/onlineteachercertification\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/americanboard\\\/overview\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCFiielm-EsM6RRvN0MGKd7Q\\\/videos\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/eefc59a14c151297ca3019bcdfea97c6\",\"name\":\"Melanie Olmstead\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/03d04f5fc543a6cae11139214f5f31bc9c48f60e4b1e5e1b7be5e0aa4e140d10?s=96&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/03d04f5fc543a6cae11139214f5f31bc9c48f60e4b1e5e1b7be5e0aa4e140d10?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/03d04f5fc543a6cae11139214f5f31bc9c48f60e4b1e5e1b7be5e0aa4e140d10?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Melanie Olmstead\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.americanboard.org\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/melanie-olmstead\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life - American Board Blog","description":"Help your child adjust to back-to-school life with practical tips for students of all ages. Support routines, learning, and confidence.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life - American Board Blog","og_description":"Help your child adjust to back-to-school life with practical tips for students of all ages. Support routines, learning, and confidence.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/","og_site_name":"American Board Blog","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/abcte","article_published_time":"2025-08-20T18:26:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-13T16:19:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1572,"url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Melanie Olmstead","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@abcte","twitter_site":"@abcte","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Melanie Olmstead","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/"},"author":{"name":"Melanie Olmstead","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/eefc59a14c151297ca3019bcdfea97c6"},"headline":"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life","datePublished":"2025-08-20T18:26:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-13T16:19:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/"},"wordCount":480,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Education in the News","Education Resources for Parents"],"articleSection":["Parent Education Resources"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/","url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/","name":"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life - American Board Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-20T18:26:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-13T16:19:45+00:00","description":"Help your child adjust to back-to-school life with practical tips for students of all ages. Support routines, learning, and confidence.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1572},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-to-help-your-child-adjust-to-back-to-school-life\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Help Your Child Adjust to Back-to-School Life"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/","name":"American Board Blog","description":"Information about Teacher Certification","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#organization","name":"American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence","url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Untitled-2_preview.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Untitled-2_preview.png","width":250,"height":250,"caption":"American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/abcte","https:\/\/x.com\/abcte","http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/onlineteachercertification","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/americanboard\/overview\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFiielm-EsM6RRvN0MGKd7Q\/videos"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/eefc59a14c151297ca3019bcdfea97c6","name":"Melanie Olmstead","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03d04f5fc543a6cae11139214f5f31bc9c48f60e4b1e5e1b7be5e0aa4e140d10?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03d04f5fc543a6cae11139214f5f31bc9c48f60e4b1e5e1b7be5e0aa4e140d10?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03d04f5fc543a6cae11139214f5f31bc9c48f60e4b1e5e1b7be5e0aa4e140d10?s=96&r=g","caption":"Melanie Olmstead"},"url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/author\/melanie-olmstead\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_2327659179-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2875"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2877,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2875\/revisions\/2877"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}