PARENTING

ALARM CLOCKS, BOOKS, AND DESKS

HELPING YOUR CHILD RE-ADJUST TO THE SCHOOL DAY

WRITTEN BY LAUREN DREHER

Routine. Parents either love it or hate it. Regardless, I’ve come to find that most kids thrive on routine, or at least a little bit of it. The parents I talked to recently about their kids going back to school say it helps their kids transition back into the school year. And there were multiple tips and tricks they gave that may help your kids ease back into the swing of things.

Tips for starting the school year

• The alarm clock: Many kids get to sleep in during the summer.

They are now used to staying up late and not having to answer to an alarm clock. When it comes time to go back, they might be excited, but the sound of that alarm and actually having to get out of bed might be more of a struggle than anticipated. Multiple moms suggested reintroducing an earlier bedtime a couple weeks before. That way, everybody gets a chance to re-acclimate to the new schedule. • School shopping: One thing

I always loved was buying school supplies. We’re all busy, but making a special trip with

the kids to get the needed supplies and letting them pick (or at least help pick) the supplies can help get them excited for that first week of school. • Fun lunches: If your child takes their lunch to school, make it fun for them. Just like getting fun items for travel, get them something they don’t normally get. • Friends: Kids are excited to go back and see their friends. If your child is younger, sometimes setting up some play time with their friends in the weeks before will get them excited to see those kids again during the day.

• Set expectations: When starting something new, I make a point to talk to my kids about it before so

I can set expectations and give them a heads up. That way, they are better able to roll with the changes.

Tips for kids who struggle with change

Some kids adjust back into the school routine easily, but not all. If you have a child who struggles with anxiety, here are some tips for you. • Meet the teacher: Some kids get nervous and anxious thinking about their school day, especially if they are going to a new school.

They are nervous about getting to their class and how they will interact with their teacher. Take them to meet their teacher alone

so they can have one-on-one time. Let their teacher know so they can be prepared. This way, when the school day comes and they have first-day jitters, they are prepared. • Walk through the classes: When

I was in high school, one thing that always made me nervous was getting to my classes on time. Every year, I would print out my schedule, go to the school and walk to all of my classrooms so I could mentally figure out when I had time to go to my locker between classes and still be on time. When the first day of school came around,

I would know where I was going and could relax. • Prepare the night before: Anxiety or not, have your kids lay out their clothes the night before.

To this day, I lay out my clothes before so I don’t waste time in the morning sorting through clothes I don’t want to wear. This way, I know I have clothes ready and anything else that is needed during the day. I don’t have to worry in the morning and end up walking out the door late.

Getting back into the routine of the school year can be stressful as you switch gears from your summer routine (or lack of routine). There is no routine that always works for every family, and It’s up to you to figure out what works best for your kids. But hopefully some of these tips and tricks will help you and give you some ideas. If you’re an anxious parent, I suggest getting started as early as possible so you can ease yourself into the new routine as well and the first days and weeks go as smoothly as possible.

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