Horray, parents! School is almost back in session!
Just a few more weeks and the kids go
back to school! Before we start popping
champagne with our spouse or go skipping away from the bus stop on the first
day of school, let’s take a moment to survey the situation. There’s a lot we parents can do during these
last few days of the Summer Break Countdown to ensure a smooth transition from
carefree kid to successful student.
Re-Establish School Routines
Use the last few weeks of summer to get back into a school-day
rhythm. Have your child practice getting up and getting dressed at the same
time every morning. Start eating
breakfast, lunch, and snacks around the times your child will eat when school
is in session.
Make Going Back to School Exciting
If your child is feeling a bit anxious about going back to school,
keep a positive attitude. Recall the fun and exciting events, field trips,
projects, and so on from years past, and show excitement about the
opportunities for learning new things in the upcoming year.
Do a School Walk-Through
Escorting younger children to their classroom can help ease
anxiety. Familiarize your child with key places such as the bathroom, gym,
library, and cafeteria — they’ll feel more confident if he knows where
everything is. This is also true for
kids changing schools or moving up a grade (from elementary to middle school or
from middle school to high school).
Make a Practice Run
How will children get to school? The
first day of school is no time to find out it takes ten minutes--not five--to
walk to the nearest bus stop! Also, print
and post the bus schedule to prevent a missed bus. Or, if they'll walk, help them learn the
route they'll take and note the needed time.
Nurture Independence
Once the bus delivers the kids to school, your child will be
managing a lot of things on their own. Get them ready for independence by
talking ahead of time about responsibilities he's old enough to shoulder. This
might include organizing his school materials, writing down assignments, and
bringing home homework. Even if your
child is young, you can instill skills that will build confidence and
independence at school. Have your young child practice writing her name and
tying her own shoes.
Create a Launch Pad
Help your child learn responsibility and organization. Create
a dedicated space for every family member to help get the family out the door
in record time--and organized. Things
like backpacks and lunch boxes always go in the same place to avoid last-minute
scrambles in the morning. You might also have your child make a list of things
to bring to school (books and papers, lunch money and permission slips and post
it by the front door.
Set Up a Time and Place for Homework
Head off daily battles by making homework part of your child’s
everyday routine. Establish a time and a place for studying at home. Really
smart people say it really helps if kids know there is a specific place to sit
down and do homework, and that it happens at the same time every day. As much as possible, plan to make yourself
available during homework time, especially with younger kids. It’s ok to read
the paper or cook dinner – just be around to check in on your child’s progress. Displaying your child's projects around the
house also helps to keep learning excitement high.
After-School Plans
School gets out before most working parents get home, so it's
important to figure out where your children will go, or who will be at home, in
the afternoons. You might find an after-school program through the school
itself or on JBM-HH. If possible, try to arrange
your schedule so you can be there when your child gets home during those first
few days of school. It may help your child adjust to the new schedule and
teachers.
Talk It Out
Asking your child about school is important. It shows them that
you value their education. Try to avoid general questions, like "How was
your day?" These will most likely produce one-word answers. Instead, be
specific and ask open-ended questions.
“What was the coolest thing to happen in your science class today?”
“Tell me one thing you found interesting in your history class.” “Teach me how to solve this equation.” They’ll love teaching an adult something!
Create Mission Central
Each school year floats on a sea of schedules. School functions. Team
practices. Lunch menus. Scout meetings
and music lessons. A family event
calendar is just the thing to track all of these after-school activities. A paper calendar with large squares lets you
enter information easily. Pre-printed white board calendars are easy to revise
when necessary. Color-coding entries by family member helps keep busy lives
straight. Post the family event calendar
in a public place near the telephone. Use magnets to attach the calendar to the
refrigerator, or tack it to a bulletin board.
All of these things may not work or apply to your family. We may have left out some really great
tips. The point is to try to find a way
to iron out the bumps of a new year before
the new year starts. Once the new school
year is underway, you may get caught up in the undercurrent of fast moving
schedules. Better to have a life jacket –
or a surf board at the ready!
Leave a comment below if you have a Back to School hack or tip
that we just haaaaaaave to know
about!
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