5 Strategies for a Successful Return to School
In a few short weeks, kids will be heading back to school! Backpacks, lunch bags, sneakers and notebooks will be hauled out of storage or bought new to be labeled and organized for the first day. This fall promises kids a full school experience, so make sure they’re prepared!
Run Through Your Daily Routine
After a carefree summer, it’s a good idea to reintroduce school preparation routines ahead of the first day. Plan what to wear the night before. Practice time-management from getting dressed, eating a good breakfast, packing lunch and leaving on time. A few rehearsals will flush out any hurdles before school begins.
Create the Perfect Homework Station
A quiet space to complete homework is a necessity for every student from Grade 1 to graduate school. But, the perfect homework station doesn’t have to be a fancy set-up in their bedroom. The kitchen table can be just as effective. The key is good lighting, a clear space with no clutter, and some essential age-appropriate school supplies like crayons, pens and paper or a laptop.
Organize Lunch Essentials
As well as a homework station, a drawer or cupboard reserved for reusable containers, thermoses, and water bottles is a good idea and will make lunch prep easier. Organize your fridge too! Create a quick and easy, grab and go style system with separate bins for cold snacks (like cut-up veggies), another for sandwich fixings, and possibly another for yogurt tubes.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Start sending your child to bed earlier and have them wake up at the time he or she needs to get up for school. School-aged children who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have behavior problems, such as noncompliance and hyperactivity. For older children, give them an alarm clock of their very own.
Ease Back-to-School Anxiety
With ongoing concerns around COVID safety, it’s easy to overlook the typical run of the mill worries and concerns your child may have about heading back to school. Fears around starting a new school, moving up a grade, having new teachers, making new friends and/or participating in school activities are real and can heighten anxiety. Talk with your child about their expectations, concerns, and/or excitement for the new academic year. Help them re-direct attention away from the worries towards the positives, which may be as simple as a new backpack, new sneakers or a new friend.
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