OPINION: Back-to-School is Just Around the Bend

With starting on August 31, a mere three plus weeks away, students throughout the city are beginning to prepare for another year of buses, books and backpacks. And, while there is the excitement of reconnecting with friends, it is not uncommon for children to be apprehensive about what lies ahead: new teachers, new friends, new routines. Making the transition from the lazy, hazy days of summer to the routine of the school day can be chaotic and stressful.

It is important to start preparing your child now to switch gears from summer to school routines. 

Introducing school related topics into the day and even tackling the school supply list early can help your child with the transition into school. By involving children in the process of choosing their supplies (backpacks, notebooks and binders) it gets them thinking about school and can spark enthusiasm.

Take time to discuss any questions or concerns that your child may have. The positivity and encouragement that you exude in your responses will help to calm fears and even build confidence and excitement for what is to come.

Because brain drain is common during the summer months, parents need to start exercising their children’s brains now to combat the “summer slide.” The best way to do this is by reading ... anything and everything! There are lots of creative and fun ways to get kids reading and get kids excited about reading. A night at the big game can follow a day reading the biography of your child’s favorite athlete; a trip to the zoo can begin with a stop at the library for a book about animals; a day at the beach can be followed by reading about the sea creatures discovered at the shore. 

As part of the pre-school preparations it is a good idea to plan social activities for your children. Organizing get-togethers with fellow classmates will help ease your children into the school year by developing bonds of familiarity. Before the start of the school year make sure to take your children to meet the teacher. This is key.

As the first day of classes draws near, it is time to start reseting your children’s sleep schedule. This can be accomplished by waking the family up earlier in the mornings, especially if you have older children who are inclined to sleep in, and by putting kids to bed a little earlier. The entire family will benefit when the schedule-free, stress-free mornings of summer are replaced by the rush and chaos which often marks school day mornings. The transition will be met with less stress and anxiety if you start now to change the routines.

As a fun (and often overlooked) precursor to the school year, spend some time sharing stories of your own school experiences with your children. By telling tales of your days in school when you felt nervous on the first day, got picked on because of a bad haircut and overcame challenging situations, you remind your children that you were a kid once, too. Sharing life experiences develops a sense of camaraderie and strengthens family bonds.

In the blink of an eye, you will be packing lunch boxes and backpacks and kissing your children goodbye as they head out the door. 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Marlborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page.