We are now in the middle of August and children are about to begin trading in their sandcastles for pens and paper, and family lunches will soon be replaced by school lunches. It is back to school time and no matter how old your children are, the transition never seems to get any easier for them. Going from a few months of freedom to spending 7 hours or more in a classroom is not an easy feat, but here are a few tips to make the transition a little smoother:
Approximately one week before school begins, create a schedule so that your children are going to sleep and waking up during the regular school sleep and wake-up times. This will get them in the habit of going to bed at a reasonable time and waking up early, so when the first day of school arrives, they are ready.
Some schools give summer assignments to their students. Whether it be reading or math or science, ensure that your children have been working on their assignments throughout the summer. Now that school is about to start, check up on them to find out if the assignments have actually been completed. Do not wait until the day before the first day of school to check though. This can make for a very hectic and upsetting first day of school.
Talk to your children about the positive aspects of the new school year. These can include seeing old friends, making new friends, and playing a team sport. Think about what they enjoyed in school last year, and encourage them with these same positive aspects for the new year.
Have positive quotes to inspire and discuss with your children. Melissa Taylor, a writer and a mom, has compiled many such quotes. You can visit her website and print them out too. Select one a day or a week and talk with them about each quote. Put them in their bedrooms or lunch boxes. CLICK HERE.
Talk with our children about their plans for the new school year. What do they want to achieve? How do they plan to reach their goals? These and similar questions will not only give your children the opportunity to start planning for the upcoming school year, but will also give youinsight into their goals and the chance to start guiding them towardachieving them.
Change of any kind can be challenging, but applying these steps can assist in relieving any stress your children may be feeling about the start of a new school year.