Here are some suggestions for how to transition from summertime enjoyment to school time.
1. Start new routines - Give children a head start since they need time to adjust. Make bedtime earlier and put the alarm clock back on about two weeks before the start of the school year. Try to provide meals at roughly the same times that your child will eat throughout the academic year.
2. Review the guidelines - Pick a time and place for her to finish her schoolwork. Cover challenging subjects, especially: Can she watch TV once her work is done? What time after classes are out may friends visit? What time does the caffeine stop? How about errands? Setting rules and discussing them together will ensure that everyone is on the same page once classes begin.
3. De-Stress Clothes - Give your child the freedom to pick out special first-day attire, such as a souvenir shirt from a park you visited last summer or a new dress that matches the outfit of her best buddy. Bring the autumn clothing to the forefront to avoid arguments about what to wear to school. Socks, trainers and thin sweaters should be used in place of sandals and bathing suits.
4. Create a strategy together - Talk about the accomplishments from the previous year, the next goals, and some talents he wants to develop. Goals could be:
- Either making three new pals or alternating weekly lunch tables
- Becoming the chess team captain or a finalist in the spelling bee
- Honour roll selection
5. Keep your emotions under check - Keep it up if your youngster excelled at weaving at summer camp or diving at the neighbourhood pool. Find after-school clubs or organisations that will allow her to keep doing the interesting new things she tried this summer to integrate her new summertime passions into the academic year.
6. Call upon the Spirit of Learning - As summer ends, give inventive "homework": Request that he take a picture of something that changes colour or identify a paw print in the park. Create a set of family flashcards and quiz each other on where you travelled the most this summer. Which plans were shelved?
7. Go on a field trip as a family - Plan one final educational excursion to round off months of visiting baseball fields and water parks. You need not travel far: Examine an old ship at the docks or visit a wildlife preserve to learn about various plants and trees.
8. Create a study space - Make a study area that is peaceful and well-lit. Bring the essentials: a backpack, a map, a calculator, art supplies, paper and pencils, to avoid first-day panic attacks. Make it pleasant and intimate, but free of interruptions.
9. Hone Your Skills - Increase the number of factual mind-bending activities you do on a daily basis. Word searches, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and trivia all help your kid sit still, concentrate, and accomplish a task from beginning to end.
10. Go for a Test Run - Take a trip to school, and get familiar with the new classroom. Make sure to find the cafeteria, gym, theater, and library. Don't forget about bathrooms! It's also a good time to size up cubbies, try out lockers, and locate a pay phone.
