Beating the Back to School Blues
By: Courtney Surles
For most parents, the end of August and return to school is bittersweet. You may miss the carefree days of summer but appreciate getting your time back. For children, making the transition back to school can be quite difficult. After all, they are getting themselves ready for a lot of newness: a teacher, classmates, tasks, and challenges. Kids, who’ve been staying up late and sleeping in, now have to get up at 6 a.m. again. Relaxed lunches eaten when hungry now require planning and packing. And homework? Yes, it’s time to start that drill too.
But with a little preparation and the right attitude, it doesn’t have to be so hard. So to aid us all in the transition from summer to studiousness here’s a list of tips.
Stay positive. Our children will mimic our energy. If we want them to be excited about school, we have to be as well.
Create routines. Children respond well to consistency. The key to adjusting to back to school will be an established routine.
Establish fun traditions. Have pizza every Friday to celebrate a great school week...anything that gives them something to look forward to.
Choose the right activities. There is no need for to run ragged getting to volleyball practice if your child no longer enjoys it
Consider timing. If you’re lucky enough to have choices in times, choose wisely.
Maintain a family calendar. It does wonders for scheduling!
Embrace meal planning. It will cut down on fast food costs. Also, family dinners are a great way to promote bonding.
Find small blocks of time. Practice spelling words and math facts in the car on the way to activities.
Empower your kids. Give your kids as much control over their own planning and scheduling as they can handle.
Electronics and computers. It’s easy to rely on electronic games and online social networking sites during the activities crunch but make them a treat, not a crutch.
Below are the links to two great videos for you to enjoy with the little ones as well!
Baby Got Class – A Back to School Parody
Kid President’s Pep Talk to Teachers and Students!