With Fall comes ‘Back to school’ for the kids.

Flavour Of The Month, WCCS Articles | September 09 2013

Whether we want to admit it or not, the long days of summer are coming to a close. And with this comes thoughts of fall and starting school again. Whether you look forward to the return of the routines that school brings or you don’t want to let go of the freedom that the long summer days bring, as a parent you need to help your children make that adjustment to being back at school. Even though the summer heat is still with us it is not too early to start to prepare your children.
The easiest place to start is getting back into the school-type routines. I always found it’s much easier to begin to get into earlier bedtimes in small steps rather than a sudden change to a 7:00 pm bedtime the day before the start of school. It could be a good idea to spend some time having breakfast and getting dressed right after getting up to prepare for that first day. It is also a good idea to start talking about
after school routines like homework time, TV time, game time, etc. Whether your child is just beginning preschool, entering kindergarten, starting a new school, entering high school, or just starting a new grade, the beginning of a new school year can be a little
intimidating. Back-toschool can be a big transition for many children. As parents, we can help to ease those feelings by doing just a few simple things.
Talk to your children about school. You can help them get excited about all the new and exciting experiences that school can bring. Talk
about what they might expect. For example, for the child that is just starting kindergarten, you might talk about snack time, play time on the playground, songs that they might sing, or games they might play. For the child that is starting a new grade or high school, you
might talk about some of the changes they might experience, like having lockers or more than one teacher.
For children that are starting a new school, being familiar with the environment can ease some of the nervousness that comes from starting anything new. Take some time to go and explore the playground and, possibly, meet some of the children they will be attending
school with. If you can go into the school, do, and take a peek in some of the classrooms, find places like the office, the bathrooms, the library, and the gym.
Most importantly, encourage your children to ask questions about school and express their concerns, if they have any. By letting children
express their fears or concerns, you can acknowledge and normalize them. Let them know that you understand and reassure them that you are there for them. Just expressing concerns helps us to make them much less intimidating.Embrace these last few weeks of summer and look forward to a new and exciting start to fall.