Trading in the long, carefree summer days for a timetable that is tightly strung is one of the most difficult aspects of the back-to-school season. A whole range of new regulations, obligations, and expectations must be juggled along with tougher wake-up times and jam-packed schedules that come with school.
Parents and children may find such a significant adjustment upsetting. Fortunately, there are several things you or your babysitter or nanny may do to ease the transition for everyone.
1. Get going early and gradually
Even though you certainly don't want to in July, it takes time to transition from summer mentality to school mindset. Start the transition process a few weeks before the start of the school year, being careful to implement changes gradually to prevent a shock to the system. Talking about it is the first step in making the switch from summer to school.
"Anytime I can casually bring it up, I talk to my kids a lot about what they're looking forward to, which friends they're excited to see, what they're worried about, and how to potentially deal with what they're worried about," says South Dakota mom of three Kayla Nordgaard.
Think of summer activities you may continue to enjoy during the school year if your child is sorry that the summer is ended, or arrange a weekend trip to a favourite lake or campground in the fall.
2. Coordinating sleep schedules
If your household enjoys leisurely mornings in the summer, mornings during the school year can feel downright hectic. Children are worn out. You're worn out. Everyone affected finds it difficult. Get your family's sleep schedule back on track early to avoid the pandemonium of back-to-school mornings.
3. Adapt a routine slowly.
The idea is to change gradually. Kids' bodies and brains don't just go to sleep because the clock says it's time, as many parents have learned from transitioning to daylight saving time. There is an innate rhythm in motion that needs to be gently pushed. Adolescents, whose biology normally favours a later sleep pattern, should gradually adjust to an earlier bedtime and wake-up time.
4. Participate in organised activities
Your children will become more accustomed to the idea of following directions, completing specific tasks, and working against the time at school if you give them some structured activities to participate in over the summer.
Academic duties, such as finishing a predetermined number of workbook pages each day, could be included in structured activities, although they do not have to be. One illustration would be to ask your kids to construct a vegetable garden or birdhouse. Your children determine what they want to construct and what they need to produce it over the course of several days. They then acquire the materials they'll need, assemble everything, decorate the object (if appropriate), and place it in its final location.
Other planned activities can involve:
- Making a specific craft or work of art.
- Making a meal, snack, or dessert from scratch.
- Engaging in a step-by-step activity, such as a tutorial online.
- Constructing and navigating an obstacle course.
- Creating a special present for their brand-new instructors.
5. Speak with the instructors.
Before the start of the school year, speaking with your children's teachers is a terrific approach to learn more about what to anticipate, particularly with relation to routine.
"Parents and teachers are teammates in education," claims Tjaden. "The easier our jobs can be, the more communication we can have."
She advises parents to take advantage of the chances to speak with instructors prior to the start of school. Teachers are often happy to provide information or offer particular advice to assist students in getting ready for class.
6. Be aware that change is difficult.
Even after taking the preceding steps, going back to school can still cause anxiety. This is due to the fact that spending the entire summer at home is significantly different from being in school, despite your best efforts to develop routines and sleep regimens.
The change to school can be both exhilarating and difficult, according to Evans. Recently, her daughter graduated from kindergarten, and "as excited as she was to make friends and get to know her teacher, learning a new building, new rules, and thinking all day was challenging."
