FollowHeading back to school can be an exciting yet scary transition for your children. It’s a time for lots of new things – teachers, buildings, subjects, and even classmates. It’s highly recommended that parents do all they can before start day begins to prepare their kids for a new year of learning.
Read on to find out how you can best prepare your kids for back to school time!
1. Get back into the routine early.
Two weeks before school starts, get your kiddos back into the grind by setting bedtimes and wake up times. Most tend to stay up late and wake up later during summer vacation, so allowing time for their bodies to readjust to this timing is essential.
2. Get them excited with back to school shopping.
Every year your child deserves a new backpack, clothing, and supplies! Excite your children by letting them choose new back to school gear. Contact the school prior to your shopping trip, as there will likely be a list of items you need to purchase for your child’s classroom.
3. Ask your children about their feelings.
Talk to your children about going back to school, and find out how they are feeling. Nurture their excitement by sharing fun stories of your own experiences. Calm fears by letting the know things with will be okay (and share those kinds of stories too, if you have them!).
4. Visit the classroom and meet with new teachers.
Letting your kids get familiar with new surroundings and people early on may help calm any jitters that they may be having. Most of them offer open house before the year begins, but if they do not, you can contact them to see if a meeting can be arranged.
5. Discuss schedules and expectations for your children.
Older children should know what you expect from them as they head into a new year. Will they be in charge of getting themselves ready? Watching siblings afterwards? Talk to them about getting good grades as well as making new friends. Also, be sure to discuss how their days will go so no one’s left sleeping late, riding the wrong bus, or forgetting to grab their lunch money!
6. Work out an after-school plan.
There are lots of options for what your kids will be doing once the final bell of the day rings. Communicate whether they should be riding the bus, heading to the pick-up area, or participating in an extracurricular activity. Everyone needs to be aware of the plan to avoid any mishaps. This is especially true if your children will be doing something differently than they have in previous years.
How do you prepare your kids for this event?
