Preparing Your Child for "BACK TO SCHOOL"

Summer break is notorious for late nights, loose schedules, and coming/going with the wind. Oh how we love summer break! As the beginning of a new school year approaches, it is a good idea to begin to prepare our children before the actual day before school. It is tricky, really, because on one hand you don't want your child to feel as though his/her summer break is being cut short. On the other hand, you want to make the transition into a new school year as smooth and easy on your child as possible (whether or not he/she sees it as that).

With this in mind, I think the delivery on this is very important. Implement some or all of the strategies below, but do so in a manner that does not imply a count down to doomsday. For instance, remind your child that even when school starts, his/her summer is not over. There will still be days of pool/beach fun, picnics in the park, fishing/crabbing, playing in the sprinkler on the front lawn, and so on. Reminding my own child of these things has always gone a long way in helping him to not dread the start of school so much. Below are some tips that I have always recommended. Again, remember the delivery!

TIPS for BACK TO SCHOOL transitioning:

1) At least one week prior to the start of school, begin scaling back your child's bedtime. Why not just start this a couple days before school starts? Well, your child's body clock needs time to adjust to a new bedtime and arise time.

2) If you find that your child's diet and eating habits have significantly changed with the summer (i.e. drinking more cokes, eating more junk, eating at non-meal and non-snack times during the day, consuming more sugar/candy), begin to get your child back on a more healthy way of eating that is more conducive to helping your child to be attentive, less impulsive, and better able to concentrate in school.

3) Also, begin having more structured eating times (whether snacks or meals). Try finding out what time your child will be having lunch at school this year, and begin giving your child his/her lunch at that time 1-2 weeks prior to school. That way your child will not have those distracting hunger pains in class before lunch.

4) Be aware of any comments your child makes related to his/her feelings about going back to school. Recognize any anxieties he/she may be experiencing and offer advise to either help him/her feel prepared and/or soothe his/her concerns. It may be a situation in which your child simply needs some reassuring words or it may be a situation where he/she needs a step by step plan to implement.

5) If able, when shopping for school supplies, allow your child to pick out something extra (not on the supplies list) for school. This may be a special pack of pencils/pens, a cool notebook for writings/HW log, a cool binder, etc. Put the item(s) aside for school (do not allow these to be used beforehand). That way your child will look forward to using the item which will, in some small way at least, help him/her to look forward to school.

6) Plan a "Back to School" activity with your child for him/her to look forward to. Key word here is 'PLAN', letting your child know ahead of time (not just the day before ... give him/her the chance to look forward to the activity/associate this 'fun' with back to school). You may decide to cook your child's favorite meal for dinner on the first day of school. Or, you may decide that you will plan something special for the weekend after the first week of school.

7) Be sure to have your child's school preparations ahead of time so that there is as little last minute chaos as possible. This would include clothes shopping, school supply shopping, organizing, etc. This helps your child feel prepared, and as a result, more secure about starting school. Sometimes we have to wait on certain things such as buying a book bag or school clothes as our budgets allow so just be sure to prepare what you are able to ahead of time.

8) If your child faces a special need and/or set of circumstances which affect his/her learning or school experience, I encourage you to read up on materials which offer assistance, advise, and/or strategies for these. There are so many wonderful materials out there! The Internet is one (be sure to always check the source, though!). Also, go to your local bookstore and look in either the "Special Needs/Special Education" or "Psychology" sections. We parents always want the best for our children, and often times (without realizing it) put it all on ourselves to come up with the answers and remedies. Let these wonderful resources help you!

Here are some other great tips from other resources:

9) Decorate and embellish. As a craft project, let your child decorate his school notebooks. Have stickers, markers, colorful paper, crayons, and other craft items available. Encourage your child to personalize their school supplies. Not only will your child enjoy the process and create something they like to look at, they will also be able to easily spot their items.

10) Young children always feel more comfortable if they know what to expect. Before the new school year begins, family members can explain to children how their daily routines will change. Precisely describe what the morning routines will be in age-appropriate terms. Some children may enjoy creating a pictorial chart to include each step of the morning schedule.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children

11) Try getting up earlier a couple of days before the new school year begins and explain why you're doing it. This may prevent your child from being confused, groggy, cranky, or refusing to get out of bed on the first day of the new program.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children

Hope these help!

Jessica