Going back to school can be an exciting and anxious time for children. There are new teachers to meet, new classrooms and sometimes new schools involved. It’s important to remember that back to school changes can take time to adjust to, just as a transition would take time for us adults to adjust to. Think about your last career or life change, it usually takes some time to get in the routine. See below for a short checklist of the Top Five Do’s & Don’t’s for Back to School.
DO’S:
1. Prepare the child for the changes to their routine (explain what their school day will be like.)
2. If possible, tour the school or classroom prior to the first day. Meet the teacher with your child.
3. Keep the child’s day as predictable as possible, with the only change being going back to school.
4. Give warm eye contact, valuing comments, and gentle touch before and after school.
5. Provide your child with a small transition object (i.e., a small family photo, a bracelet from you, etc.) Let him know you’ll be thinking about him during the school day.
DON’T:
1. Don’t forget to answer the child’s questions about school and acknowledge her feelings i.e., “sometimes it can be scary to start a new school year.”
2. Don’t make any unnecessary changes to the child’s routine during this back to school transition time.
3. Don’t forget to be patient with your child, change is hard. There may be some rough moments.
4. Don’t forget to consider what effect an activity will have on your child (i.e., high stimulation events like a baseball game, a loud restaurant, etc.)
5. Don’t change or skip the bedtime routine.
**It’s also very important for you, as the parent, to practice self-care during these transition times as your emotional energy can become drained quickly when helping your child through transition times. Be sure to take time for a walk, a visit with friends, a massage, or whatever it is that relaxes you.
Parenting