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Back To School: How to Make it Easy
The end of summer is the end of the holidays, and the start of the new school year, and it's hard for children to make the transition back to school life, rules and regulations. But with our family fun guide to back to school, you can make it easy.
Preparing mentally
Talking helps the mind begin to express and process feelings, both good and bad. Talking to your children about their holidays, what they have experienced, and what they are looking forward to in the future will reveal things that can be crucial. You'll be able to keep their hopes and dreams in mind during the coming term (if they mention any) and you'll have the chance to quell any fears or doubts before they have a negative effect.
Firstly, help them remember all of the fun activities from summer. Things that they did with their friends, and days that you spent together as a family. Often, talking about recent experiences helps them to look forward to and transition into new ones.
Before term starts:
- What is your favorite thing about school; why?
- Are you looking forward to seeing your friends again? Do you think you'll make any new ones?
- What new games have you learnt that you can play at breaktime?
In termtime:
- What do you think of your new class; classroom; teacher?
- Start the term by asking detailed questions like: What did you do before lunch; after lunch; after school? If you don't pave the way from the start of the year, it will be hard to start asking about your child's day later on in term.
Secondly, to help build positive anticipation, make a calendar with your child, that you can fill in day by day. Initially, fill it with organized school events and fixtures, and plan family treats at the weekend (especially if your child is daunted by going back to school). Afterwards, every time they come back from school you can ask if there's anything new to put down. You can even include what lunch is served at school each day!
Preparing physically
Setting a good daily routine will have endless physical benefits for the coming year. It will help them wake up on time and be able to focus when school starts: they'll be used to it. After school, it will prevent laziness and indolence to know that they're expected to be doing homework at a particular time, and so on.
Setting a daily routine will also help your child develop an awareness of schedules and why they are important.
- Set a bedtime routine and stick to it. Kids thrive when they are well rested. They are better able to attend and focus in class, stay healthier, and are generally happier during the day. (9-12 hours of sleep a night is optimal for growing children). The more used to getting to sleep on time your child is, the easier they will find it to relax after a hard day.
- Set a morning routine, so that following it every day isn't an effort. Set a wake-up time, shower time, breakfast time, and so on.
- Provide healthy snacks and meals and try to have a set mealtime for the family in the evening.
- Always include appropriate grooming (bathing, oral hygiene, washing hands) habits in your routine as well.
Preparing for learning
To give your child an advantage in getting their mind in gear, there are some games and tricks you can use during the holidays. These work by helping children to recall what they already know, so that it is easier to build upon it: it fosters a sense of achievement and confidence when learning new things.
- Read every day with your child. Take turns reading a favorite book, or let them pick one from the library. Ask them questions about what is being read, or look at pictures and talk about what is happening in the picture.
- When you are in your neighbourhood, talk about signs you see, and identify familiar things such as objects, street signs, and neighbours. When walking or driving home, let your child direct you: "which way do we turn next?"
- Talk about numbers every day, and use different objects around the house to demonstrate how they work. Ask questions like: 'how many more will make 10?'; 'if I eat 5 how many will be left?'
- When cutting or preparing food, talk about fractions and percentages. When cooking, read and follow recipe directions, talk about measurement, and the science of cooking and baking: What makes things freeze? What is a solid? What is a liquid?
Preparing yourself
Your children are not the only ones who are experiencing a life change. A new school year can bring about added stress, changes in schedules and demands that your whole family must adjust to. Prepare for these by:
- Planning an activity for the entire family to look forward to on an evening or weekend. The fun does not have to be over just because summer has come to an end.
- Making sure you know the schedules of other family members. Everyone seems to have lots to do - but when you keep track of them all, it won't seem so much (add these activities to your calendar!).
- Set a time (and place) for your family to be together each day, such as dinnertime. With this, you can connect with each other, and communicate.
- Make sure that everyone gets enough sleep and eats a healthy diet to avoid temper tantrums and moodswings (as much as possible).
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