Kids Need More than School Supplies to Prepare for a New School Year
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How Nannies and Au Pairs Can Prepare Kids with Structure, Energy, Enthusiasm, and a Positive Attitude for a New School Year
By now, you should have a school supply list for the students about to go back to school. They will undoubtedly need pencils, back packs, lunch boxes, and school clothes. But kids need your help getting ready for school in other ways too. Below are some of the ideas summarized from the familiesonlinemagazine website by Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller of http://www.personalpowerpress.com/.
Below are five suggestions for getting children ready for school:
1. Start the school schedule early. Break the summer sleep-in/stay-up late mode. Begin the morning and evening school routine at least two weeks before school actually starts. Don’t expect that a child will be able to make the adjustment to getting up for school quickly or easily without a break in period.
2. Create a positive attitude about going back to school. Talk to the children about being able to see their friends, meet their new teacher, and all the opportunities that being at school provides. When a child speaks negatively, redirect him into the positive.
3. Visit the school. Reacquaint your child with the school. Go to the school and play on the play ground, meet the new principal or office personnel, talk to the janitor if they are around.
4. Set goals for the upcoming school year. Help children create realistic expectations for themselves about school. Talk about what they want to accomplish this school year, not what you want them to accomplish. Remember not all of school is about grades. Making new friends, speaking out in class, standing up for oneself, staying organized, and managing behavior are all crucial skills for a successful school year.
5. Model learning. Create a time in the home when everyone is involved in learning related activities such as reading, playing with numbers, telling family stories, writing in a journal, or quiet reflection.
Give the kids every opportunity to be ready for school this year. Head to the mall or department store with your list of needed items and remember to add to your list the suggestions above. By doing so you give the kids what they really need to begin this school year—structure, energy, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude.
