KEEP CALM and Read on

– by Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

How to Prepare for Your Children to Have a Great Return to School

Parents: Summer has wound down, and now it’s Back-toSchool time. Preparing for the first days of the new year will yield benefits to both you and your children. Start working on this at least a couple of weeks before school resumes, whether your children are just starting school, going to a new school, or returning to the same school.

Tips to Reduce Anxiety

It’s perfectly normal for both children and parents to experience some anxiety before the start of a new or first school year. After all, what the new year will be like is unknown unless you have a crystal ball. Don’t borrow trouble by anticipating what could go wrong. And be sure not to voice your concerns to your children which could add to any anxiety that they may have. Instead, discuss any worries you may have with other adults. You certainly can talk to your children about what excites them and what worries them about the new year while expressing empathy and encouragement.

All children are likely to have some anxiety about facing new teachers and classmates. The best antidote to this is preparation, which will make the first days of school much easier. Here are some things that you need do:

1. Make sure that your children are familiar with the environ- ment of any new school whether they are entering preschool, elementary, or middle school. Quite often it is possible for children to visit schools and see where their classrooms, library, gym, or lockers will be. This is most important for young children. However, just a drive by the school or walk around the outside of the building can be reassuring for older children.

2. Perhaps, the easiest way to reduce any anxiety your children may have about returning or entering school is to help them reconnect with friends. Having a buddy to talk over the upcoming year and even possibly going to school together the first day can be extremely helpful.

3. Make sure plans are in place for how your children will get to school and where they will be after school, and that your children know what these plans are. Also, have contingency plans if afterschool plans cannot be followed on a given day.

Preparation Is the Key

Preparing your children for the new school year is essential — not optional. It will let them be relaxed and confident during the first days of the new school year. You have relieved most sources of anxiety, so now it is time to handle the nitty-gritty of school preparation.

1. This is a more than obvious step to a smooth start to the school year. Do your children need new backpacks? If the school has sent a list of supplies, get them. Do your children have all the items like pencils, rulers, pens, paper, and folders that will be needed for homework assignments?

2. Do new shoes, or clothes, or athletic equipment, or music equipment need to be purchased or rented?

Establish a School Routine

Aah, those lazy days of summer are about to disappear. No more staying up late or getting up late. No more hours and hours on electronic devices playing games or seeing what friends are doing on Instagram. The transition to school should not be abrupt. The school routine should be eased into at least several days before the start of the new year. Routines should include:

1. While your children will not be enthusiastic about going on the school waking up or sleeping schedule a few days before school starts, it will pay dividends in making their first days at school easier.

2. Do a dry run for getting to the school whether they will walk, take the bus, or you will drive them to school.

Checklist of Other Things to Do

1. Review how the children will handle homework — times, places, and rules. (A contract can help.)

2. Establish the number of activities your children will pursue. Have a realistic cap on the number.

3. Establish a routine that gets the children out the door promptly and without too many reminders.

4. Discuss with the school nurse or administration any medical conditions or allergies that they should know about.

5. Read the school handbook if you have been given one so you are aware of attendance, dress, COVID, and behavior policies.

6. Think long and hard about the need to establish any rules about the time spent on electronic devices.

7. Discuss with the children whether they will be buying or taking lunch.

8. The older your children are, the more they should be involved in establishing the routines that work for them.

One Caution

Here’s one more thing to think about. If you plan to put cute pictures of your children’s first day at school on social media, be sure to limit the information: no full names, school or teacher names, or pictures that include your address. Remember, there is no limit to the number of people that will see your postings.

Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com, and visit the dearteacher.com website to learn more about helping their children succeed in school.

The long summer days of sunshine, pool time, travel, and enjoying a leisurely schedule are coming to a close as a new school year quickly approaches. Some kids enjoy all of the excitement and promise of a new school year, but others may find the thought of waking up early, completing nightly homework, and the stress that goes along with maintaining good grades something to dread rather than look forward to. Parents can help get kids excited for the new school year so they don’t lose their motivation before the school year even starts.

Set A Good Example

For busy parents, it can be easy to get down about the thought of getting up early, packing lunches, helping with homework, shopping for school supplies, and prodding the kids out the door every morning. Our kids feed off of our attitude and if we are dreading the backto-school routine, chances are they will too. On the other hand, if a parent focuses on the positives of a new school year, such as having a fresh start with a new teacher, making new friends, and the fun of being challenged and learning new things, our kids will feed off of this excitement and will also start to look forward to a new school year.

Use What They Love

A great way to motivate a child is to use something they are already looking forward to. If you have a social child, then remind them they will have daily time with friends.

How to Motivate Kids for School

— by Sarah Lyons

If they love sports, remind them they will have the opportunity to participate in P.E. class, play at recess, or participate in school sports.

If they have a favorite subject, focus on the opportunity to learn more throughout the school year. Encourage your child to get involved in clubs and activities that include things that they love and are interested in.

For some kids, buying a new backpack and school supplies will be a great motivator for them.

Consider what will motivate your child and focus on the positive aspects that are related to school and what your child loves about it.

Be Realistic

One way to motivate your kids is to be honest with them about the importance of a good education. School is necessary and important for your child to build their skills in reading, math, science, and understand the world around them. It’s also important to do well in school if they would like to continue on to college.

For younger kids, college may seem like the distant future. Parents can explain that they use reading and math skills every day. The teamwork and social skills they learn in school will also help them learn to work with others in sports and play.

— by Sarah Lyons

Create Healthy Habits

Encourage your child to get a good night’s rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and focus on good study habits. An afterschool routine to complete homework and chores will help your child adjust to the back-to-school routine. Set aside time for free time as well. Host a playdate, have a movie night, go to the park, and schedule time for fun and relaxation so kids don’t get too bored with their routine.

Share Your Expectations

It’s important to let your child know you have high expectations for the upcoming school year. Work with your child to set goals for success and reward them for meeting their goals. Some kids may need an academic goal, while others need goals such as no tardies for the quarter or turning all assignments in on time.

It may help to communicate with your child’s teacher to come up with some beneficial goals for your child. Rewards could include a special outing as a family, going out for ice cream, picking out a special toy, or extra screen time. As your family kicks off a new school year, try to stay positive and use things that already motivate your child to get them excited about the new school year ahead.

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer and mom of six kids including triplets. She enjoys reading, writing, and spending time outdoors with her family.

As fall activities amp up, don’t scramble to put dinner on the table. Want to spend more time eating healthy meals together and less time at the drive-thru? Spend some time planning, prepping, and thinking outside the (prepackaged) box to reimagine family dinners. I spoke with a meal-planning blogger, a professional organizer and some busy local moms to get tips that eliminate the stress of dinnertime.

Plan

Spend a few minutes mapping out the week’s meals. Blogger Jane Maynard shares weekly meal plans on This Week for Dinner (www.thisweekfordinner. com) “Life is so much better when you spend 10 minutes planning out the dinner menu for the week and throwing together a grocery list based on that plan.” Maynard says. “It saves time, money and angst.”

Start by creating two or three weekly dinner menus of meals your family will actually eat, then rotate to prevent boredom. Find a free printable on Pinterest to organize recipes and grocery lists. “I have a few favorite go-to meals that are great because they are nutritious, relatively easy to make, and I know my kids will eat them,” says Maynard. “That’s the holy grail right there!” Find recipes and meal plans on her blog.

Organize

Use a grocery shopping system so you always have what you need. Whether it’s a list on the fridge, notes on your phone, or an app such as “Out of Milk” where family members add to an ongoing shopping list from their phones, pick a system that works for your family to avoid multiple trips to the store.

Stock The Pantry

Professional organizers often favor minimalism in the kitchen. Since nothing derails cooking more than a messy kitchen, stick to staples you use regularly rather than a tightly stuffed pantry.

To make cooking more inviting, cut down on the number of single-use gadgets, collector plastic cups, coffee mugs and other items that make keeping the kitchen clean a challenge.

Eat More Whole Foods

Subscribe to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box.

Filled with locally grown, seasonal produce, CSA boxes allow the opportunity for the whole family to try new healthy

— by Cherie Gough