Back to School Tips
It’s almost back to school time! That usually generates a mix of responses, from sighs of relief from parents of older kids, to a few tears from the parents whose children are just starting school. Regardless of where your child sits, there are strategies you can use to help make the transition (back) to school as easy as possible.
For all of us, when there is a change in routine, there are bound to be some challenges. Back to school time can be stressful for kids and parents alike. Most kids have just had weeks to play, sleep, perhaps go on holidays, all without the confines of a classroom or regimented routine.
Helping kids prepare for school gives them the best chance at a good start for the year and success throughout.
When is the right time to start that preparation?
This can depend on your activities and family situation. At the end of the day some preparation is better than none, so starting now will still help come the first day of school.
What can you do to achieve a smooth transition back into a school day?
There are two things you can do that are vital to making the transition simpler and less stressful for everyone.
Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Children need much more sleep than we often think they do, several hours more than the average adult. Begin to establish a healthy bedtime and wake-up schedule for your child before school begins. If your summer routine is very different than school time, make the change gradually. Even quiet evening time reading or drawing in their rooms can help to establish healthier sleep patterns.
Plan healthy meals and snacks. Your child, like you, needs to be fuelled with healthy foods to maintain focus and energy throughout the day. Talk to your children about any foods that they like, or better yet, take them shopping and let them pick out a few things they like and will happily eat for breakfast, lunch and snack time.
How can you help your kids readjust to the learning environment of school after such a long break?
During the summer holidays, kids’ brains are still learning and working hard but the type of learning and focus is quite different than in a classroom.
Help your kids switch their brains back to classroom learning by following these 3 simple rules:
Turn off the electronics! Teachers can’t move or entertain like video games and movies can. Kids’ brains need some time to slow down and adapt to a learning environment based on human interactions, rather than screen interactions.
Open more books. Books provide exposure to vocabulary, information, and different processing skills than TV or electronics do. Read to your child each day, even if it’s the newspaper or comics, and take your child to the library so they can find books they are interested in to read over the summer.
Practice math basics. More kids nowadays, lose their basic math skills and have to re-learn them every year. There are many affordable math practice books available in stores or websites that provide free math practice and worksheets. Have your child complete just one page of these a day, or better yet, incorporate addition, subtraction, multiplication and division into card or board games that can be played by the entire family!
Top five first day back to school essentials
A good night sleep (for both you and your child).
A healthy breakfast that includes some protein and little or no sugar.
A healthy lunch and snack, ideally foods that your child enjoys eating.
A calm family. Stress or fighting on any morning before school always disrupts a child’s day.
Enough time to complete the morning routine. We all get stressed when we are rushing, so do as much as you can the night before, like getting lunches ready, laying out the uniform and packing the school bag.
Tips for first timers, those with kids going into Kindergarten
Try to relax and trust those teachers who are taking your child. They really do know what they are doing and they also understand how hard it is for you to pass your child over to them. Be honest if you need to stay for a few minutes the first few days so that you can rest easy. Remember, the teacher is not going to do things the same way that you have done them as a parent but your child will learn the expectations and routines and will be just fine.
Next week we’ll be looking at some more specific strategies for children who experience Separation Anxiety.
Credit: https://www.chatterblock.com/articles/7/back-to-school-tips-from-the-expert-an-elementary-school-teacher/