Chuck and Jana Thompson start early making the transition from summer to school.
“Our oldest is very anxious about starting school,” said Mrs. Thompson. “She is entering the fifth grade this year and we have already been talking for several weeks about preparing for the first day of school, seeing her friends and wondering about which teachers she will have. I will never forget her Kindergarten year. She was so anxious about starting school we had to keep a trash can in the car because we rarely made it to school without her getting sick. I would try to be upbeat and encouraging while she was in the car. After I dropped her off I would cry all the way home. It was tough.”
The Thompsons along with many others are in count down mode as the start of school approaches. The excitement of clothes shopping, getting new backpacks and lunchboxes can sometimes be overshadowed by children feeling anxious about a new school, new teachers and friendships that have been on summer hiatus.
“There are definitely some things parents can do to help their children get back into the school routine,” said Carol Langston, previous elementary school principal and currently the Director of Licensed Personnel for the Hamilton County Schools.
• Set up your daily routines – practice getting back in the habit of going to bed at a certain
time and getting up when the alarm clock goes off. Don’t wait until the night before school starts to go to bed early.
• Set aside quiet time in the afternoon or evening – Your child can read, write in a journal or practice math problems.
• Help your child set up a study area - Make sure all necessary study tools are available.
• Be positive about your child returning to school. Talk about the fun things that will happen – or what your child hopes will happen.
• Use the school’s reading list to encourage your child to read - Set up a time for all family members to read.
• Set aside time to read aloud – This will get your child back in the listening mode.
• If your child is new to the school – Take time to drive by or visit the school. An evening at the playground may give your child something to look forward to as they anticipate starting school.
• Get back in the pattern of using rules and requests – Summertime often means a more lax time with fewer rules and expectations.
• Use journals or diaries as a way to encourage your child to write.
• Plan a fun family activity to celebrate the beginning of school – a picnic, special dinner, or fun time at the park sets the tone.
“When I think about the beginning of the school year, it brings back some memories of funny moments,” said Mrs. Thompson. “We always go through this period of everybody trying to remember everything they need for the day. There have been many mornings of that first week of school when I will put my children on the bus at 7:20 am and walk back in the house only to hear the phone ring at 7:25 am. It is the bus driver who hands the phone over to one of the kids so they can tell me they forgot their lunch or some other necessary item. I jump in the car and drive to the end of the street to meet the bus before it leaves our neighborhood.”
Getting into the school routine does not always happen without hitches. Know that there will be some bumps in the road and it may take a couple of weeks for things to settle down and everyone to get in the groove of a new routine. But with a little preplanning and preparation, you just might make that transition a little easier.
