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Going back to school mania! Some helpful tips…

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Need some helpful tips on prepping the kids for school?

The fliers are out, the store isles are full of school supplies, and the commercials are in full swing. No matter what your age is you’ve become acutely aware that summer is ending. As with any parent at this time of year the task of preparing your child for school is upon you. But while you’re buying folders, pencils and backpacks you may be missing one back to school necessity….your child’s personal readiness.

School can be a source of stress and mentally exhausting. The beginning of the school year can be a shock factor after a lazy summer to your child’s physical and emotional state. It’s our obligation to them to not just let them adapt when school starts to a new morning routine but to start beforehand. Afterall, it’s not just making sure your child is up in time for school but to make sure they are up and ready to learn. If you haven’t started already, get your child into the school routine. Set a bedtime and stick with it no matter their age and objections.

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” -Benjamin Franklin

From preschool age to tweens, children require 10-12hrs of sleep. Teenagers need around 9hrs, although some impersonate hibernating bears pretty darn well. Establishing a healthy nighttime routine and morning routine is beneficial towards your child’s academic success. It’s better that your child starts each morning with a healthy breakfast (not much of a morning appetite? Nutritional drink mixes, cereal bars, even a good trail mix). Get them up in time to eat, brush their teeth, wash their face (or as we call it “wake up your face”) and get dressed. Express the importance of self-confidence. “Did you brush your hair? Check yourself in the mirror? You look like a million bucks”! In a perfect world, if you had the time and ability to go for a morning walk with your child that would be great. Healthy body, healthy mind. Even morning stretches would be beneficial. Set some more personal routines such as making their bed, putting dishes in the sink. For younger children setting out a morning checklist is great to establish good habits.

Your kids will be chasing the school bus before you know it!

Nighttime habits that make school a little easier are not only getting to bed early but incorporating taking a shower and bath (great for younger children as it tends to help them sleep). Start putting your next day outfit together and out on the dresser ready for the morning. During school, help your child have their backpack all set the night before each school day and put it at a set place maybe by the door.

“Did you wash up and brush your teeth? Is your outfit all set for tomorrow and everything fits okay? Backpack all set?”

A checklist can be really helpful. You have your own set routines, it’s time to make things easier on everyone by establishing some for your school age child.

To help make sure your child is mentally ready for school brush up on what they did last year, play to their strengths. If they’ve had a pretty lax summer and haven’t pulled out this seemingly foreign instrument otherwise known as a pencil, you might want to reintroduce it. From writing their name, the alphabet, writing about their summer or letters to their friends, to doing math.. All these things help get them ready for school. If last year they were working on multiplication and division brush up on addition and subtraction right now. It’s mastering the foundation that enables them to really conquer work as it progresses in difficulty.

“My grade school/middle school child can do basic math!” That’s great! Can they answer long ‘simple math’ questions quickly?

8+6+8+2+12-4=?????

Make it fun! Brush up those skills and their self esteem while you’re at it. Positive reinforcement WORKS! While you are back to school shopping have your child at any age help you. If they are young but learning numbers give them a calculator “press number 5” and have them find isle numbers. If they are older and think they know it all, have them prove it and tell them how much you are spending, what the taxes are and tell them how many things you plan on getting. “We’re picking out three outfits and spending X amount, no asking” Can I get this?”, YOU tell me if we can afford on our budget.”

If your child is entering a new school it’s a good idea to visit it beforehand. Walk around the exterior, play on the playground or check out the track. If you’re lucky maybe they’ll be someone in the office and you can ask to tour it with your child. Help them feel familiar to take away the shock of a new setting. Talk about how a school day goes and if they’re older and have a locker, explain how to be ready to exchange items in-between classes and how to set aside books etc. they want to take home at the end of the day. Should your child be in High School have an open dialogue on what they want to accomplish and transition into after High School.

Make it fun! Brush up those skills and their self esteem while you’re at it

When school starts I encourage you to be as involved as you can be. Talk with your child’s new teacher to give them some insight on your child. If they are shy, anxious, easily distracted, let them know what works best at home to overcome these challenges. If you found the last school year to be very difficult for your child address these concerns as early as possible, so you and your child’s teacher and/or guidance counselor can make their school year more productive. This could mean setting up an Individual Education Plan or IEP. There is no shame in getting help and ever child should not have to worry they are not good enough to do well in school and to feel like a failure. School shouldn’t be a place of solid stress.

A student should feel a rewarding triumph in their accomplishments and have the resources to make them happen. This starts at home….but it doesn’t end there.


About Jordis Brown

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