Brunswickyr

Ease kids back into the routines and responsibilities of the school year.

Making the transition from a long vacation to the classroom setting can be challenging for your children especially if your family was busy having a good time the whole three months of summer. It won’t be easy for them to go back to student mode, but there are ways you can help them ease back into their new routines and responsibilities.

The first thing to do; Slowly include school-related topics in daily conversations. But keep it casual—start asking about what their classmates and teachers may have been up to this summer, and lead up to questions about upcoming school activities or subjects that interest them. Aim to find out how they feel about the return to school. Once you have established your children’s thoughts and feelings, try these other strategies for a smoother move back to schooldays.

• Develop a pre-school year routine early. Get your child to sleep and wake up early. Write the new school year schedule (which may be the same as last year with some revisions) where your child can see it.

• Put up a calendar and make a countdown to the first day of school. Gradually slow down on the summer activities and let downtime kick in. Give kids the time they need to re-energize for the start of school.

• But don’t stop the summer fun! Weekends can still be spent watching a movie, baking cupcakes, or maybe having a slumber party.

• Take your child along when you shop for school supplies. Involving them in choosing their bags pens and other supplies will surely get the children excited.

Be optimistic about the new school year and be sure your children know that you will be there for them throughout the year. And once school starts, reassure them that they need not be the perfect student, but that all you ask is for them to do their best.