Helpful Back-to-school Tips for Parents
Going back to school after the long summer is always a time of excitement. While your children may be overly excited or even a little bit worried about new teachers, new subjects and meeting their friends, the days before starting school again are always busy and stressful. Instead of rolling into school with no plan, here are some tips that will help to keep organized, create routines and support children to be their best at school.
- Use a calendar
Your children will be better prepared for school when they can visually see when school will start again. A good idea is to hang a calendar in their room and let them mark off each day with a colorful pen until the new school year starts.
- Start bedtime routines early
Children will need some time to get back to the sleeping pattern that they had before the summer holidays started. In order to make it easier for the kids to be awake early in the morning, parents can introduce the school sleep routine two weeks before school starts.
- Back-to-school shopping
Pick a date to go school shopping with your children. This date should be set and organized some time in advance to have a relaxed shopping experience. Choosing their own school supplies, clothes, a backpack or lunchboxes will engage children to take part in the activity and may increase their excitement about going back to school and using all the new things.
- Prepare lunchboxes and keep them easy
Studies show that pupils who have breakfast function better at school and have more energy. In advance, ask your children about healthy food that they like to take to school. Maybe your child likes particular fruits or vegetables which you can pack as well as a healthy sandwich. You can also have a look at the school’s cafeteria and see if it offers healthy snack options.
- Talk about homework
Children who understand the topics at school properly have more fun at school. Usually, good quality homework is key to understand topics and achieve good grades. Review the environment where your child does his or her homework: Is it quiet enough? Is there enough space? Besides the environment, it is also important to think about activities and Internet or TV usage. Do your children have enough time to do their homework and are they not distracted?
