It’s difficult to imagine that summer vacation is coming to an end, but you and your children are probably feeling excited that the school bell with soon ring. Be enthusiastic about the upcoming change. Your child will share in your enthusiasm, too.
Whether they say they love or dread going to school, all students seem to have some school jitters, as well as parents. Here are the top ten kid-tested tips to prepare your family for a successful school year.
1. Get organized.
Have a central calendar on the refrigerator to highlight upcoming events.
Agree on morning routines, such as wake up times, bathroom rules, getting dressed, and eating a decent breakfast.
Have backpacks ready with school supplies. Your child should not tote more than 10-15% of his/her body weight in the backpack. The heaviest items should be packed in the center of the backpack. Buy backpacks that have wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Rolling backpacks must be carried up stairs and they are difficult to roll in snow.
Buy new clothing within your budget, but once again, have your children help select their clothing. Tasteful clothes are very important, but remember that kids like to “fit in.” Check with your school if there are dress-code regulations.
2. Have a family meeting.
It is important that parents sit down with their children to discuss the following topics:
There are many positive aspects of starting school; it will be fun; you will see old friends and meet new ones; your teacher knows that everyone is a bit uneasy about the first day of school and that your teacher will make sure everyone feels as comfortable as possible.
Discuss parental and child’s school academic goals for the year. Please emphasize to your child that your expectations are to try hard and to do their best. These goals will depend on your student’s abilities.
Ask your child what he/she is hoping for socially in school? If you want a new friend, be sure to make the first move and say hello to a new student.
Talk about how to handle school stress; Stress is real for the youngest of learners. Stress affects ALL learners, but it is especially taxing on those with learning difficulties. More children are developing stress related problems due to the “pressures” of school, the advanced and fast-paced curriculums and elimination of recess time.
Review bus safety rules if your child rides the bus or review pedestrian safety if your child walks to school and find reliable pals to walk with your child each day. Know the “rules of the road” and wear a bicycle helmet if your child bikes to school.
Go over appropriate response to strangers. Role play situations.
3. Kids share.
On the first day of school, teachers love to have their students share either orally or in writing about their summer vacation. Help your child prepare for this activity.
4. Visit new teachers and classrooms.
Most schools have a special time for you and your child to visit before school starts. In case, your school does not have such a time, arrange such a visit. Help your child locate the bathrooms and lunch room. Let the teachers know that you are interested in getting regular feedback on how and what your child is doing in school and that you desire to be involved as a parent volunteer in the child’s classroom, if at all possible. Stay positive when working with school staff. Keep the communication lines open.
5. Prepare healthy meals and snacks for school.
Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child’s risk of obesity by 60%.
6. Designate a quiet spot for homework.
Homework should be done in an area that is free of siblings. Younger children need parental supervision and encouragement. Children need lots of praise!
7. Get enough sleep.
Be rested so the morning will be relaxed and enjoyable.
8. Limit extracurricular activities.
Your child will benefit most from one or two activities that are fun, reinforce social development, and teach new skills during a school week. Young children can be stressed by too much scheduled time and will make it harder to concentrate on homework. Younger children should have plenty of unstructured free play after school before doing their homework. Limit television and please, do not let your children play video games for more than an hour a day. Doing so can cause vision problems.
9. Act quickly if problems arise.
If you are concerned that your child is experiencing learning difficulties, behavior concerns, or dislikes school, contact your child’s teacher immediately to schedule a meeting. You need to find out the source of the problem quickly. Find out if the teacher is seeing similar things in school. Be prepared to ask specific questions. Use all the school’s resources to solve the problem. If help is given in the 4th grade rather than in late Kindergarten, it takes 4 times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.
10. Keep a sense of humor.
Put a funny message or joke in your child’s lunchbox or pencil box for him/her to find. It will remind your child that school is FUN!
With your support and encouragement, your child will thrive throughout their school experience.
