No one wants to hear it, especially not the kids, but school is right around the corner. While most of the Westchester schools won’t get into full swing until the second week in September, now is the time to start the prep work. Here are a few tips to ease back into the routine (and avoid a student sleeping in class!):
- Schedule a routine annual physical for your child. Try to work this into the agenda before the first week of school.
- Have your child try on school clothes from last year to see what still fits. Gently used favorites can be donated, making this project practical and a good lesson charity.
- Prepare your child’s school supplies and have your child become involved in buying the supplies. Even if “the list” isn’t out, there are still certain supplies that you know are needed every year. Don’t wait to the last minute to get the backpack, lunch box and pencils.
- Ease your child into the back-to-school routine. During the summer, staying up late and sleeping in late are common. But as the start of school draws near, children need to reset their routine. About three weeks before school starts, have your child go to bed 15 minutes earlier at night and get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning. When school is two weeks away, have your child go to bed 30 minutes earlier at night and get up thirty minutes earlier in the morning. When your child is about to start school in a week, have him go to bed an hour earlier at night and get up an hour earlier in the morning. By developing a bedtime routine, your child will be less resistant to the early morning wake-up calls. In addition, if you're not already doing this, have your child lay out their clothes before they go to bed. This teaches her to get organized and be prepared in case she’s running late in the morning. It also removes the “there’s nothing to wear!” drama from the morning.
- Find out if there are any changes in the school. Check the website or call the main office. Are there any new teachers? Principals? Are there any changes in curriculum? Schools tend to be open up to a month before the students return, so you can usually go and speak to an administrator about any questions. Once all the students arrive, things become much more chaotic.
- Talk to you child to find out how they feel about going back to school. Feeling more relaxed from summer, he may tell you more about difficulties he was having. Are there any concerns from last year still lingering? How can you address them? Do you need to speak to someone from the school to discuss possible solutions to the concerns?
