The week beginning January 6, 2025 marks the reopening of most schools in the country after the festive season break. Boarding students who follow the national curriculum have already gone back to their respective schools while day scholars, and those who follow the Cambridge and other international programmes reopened this Monday. With the second term starting, parents and guardians as usual juggle the beginning of the new year and immediate responsibilities to send children back to school, looking for school fees, scholastic materials and many other things needed. The beginning of the second term, which comes at the beginning of a new year, often arrives when parents and guardians are looking to set off festive expenses and go back to normal, paying for school expenses. According to Annette Umuziranenge, a veteran educator and former teacher, the beginning of the year often leaves many parents and guardians stressed, anxious or even depressed due to the timing of events. “It is true that when the new year begins and children have to go back to school, parents or guardians do not have enough time to prepare. So, when they immediately have to cater for those expenses, most times they encounter the proverbial January blues,” “As we all know, the economic situation after the festive season can be really tough especially when you have two to three children to send back to school. Most parents are likely to go through difficulties raising school fees and other needs right after the festive season unless they planned and saved for it,” Umuziranenge says. ALSO READ: How can working parents support their school going children However, it is not only parents who suffer from January blues. Even children, after a relaxed festive holiday and the challenge of beginning a new year, they also deal with their own January blues, albeit not financial in nature, but sometimes they even develop anxiety. As children head back to school, Umuziranenge says parents and guardians can talk to their children about how they feel, by creating a space for them to express their thoughts about returning to school. “They can let them know that it's normal to feel nervous or worried going back to school, but most importantly prepare them ahead. It is important to create a consistent routine for homework, meals, play, and bedtime. This can help them to feel more prepared and reduce their anxiety,” she says. After spending some time at home, children are most likely to struggle psychologically to catch up with the new term. Talking to them about school to build up excitement is important in terms of buoying the children’s confidence and expectations. Make them excited about what to expect, meeting their friends again and going to the usual routine of their studies. Some children will not sleep the night before school resumes due to anxiety. Physical activity, diet and sleep Olivier Mudahinyuka, a sports and physical education teacher, says it is important for parents and children to prioritize physical activity, simply because it can improve the mood, concentration, and behaviour, both for child, parents and guardians. It goes with diet and eating well, mostly focusing on fruits and vegetables to boost the vitamin intake for children as they alter their eating habits after the holiday. It is also important to focus on sleeping early especially when both have to wake up early. “Run together, play football, invest games that can help you break sweat. The benefits for both adults and children can be immense,” he says. Mudahinyuka says parents can integrate exciting cocurricular activities to ‘wake up’ the children after a ‘lazy’ holiday – a weekly sports training, outdoor walks, some of which can be done together. Focus from the onset As the term opens, experts say it is key to begin the term tracking the progress of a child, monitoring performance, taking note of milestones and lapses, to address them while it is still early. Parents and guardians can encourage and celebrate gains along the way. Visit the school Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit the school as the new term reopens. Some parents will leave the cab guy, school buses or the driver doing the dropping and picking. However, parents should make time to visit their children’s schools and be able to talk to the teachers on the progress of their children in the new class. This builds confidence in them and assures them that you are there. Umuziranenge says that most times parents and guardians don’t bother much to find out or connect with the teachers of their children and that makes it difficult to track the academic performance of their children. It is advised that parents or guardians should make an effort to know the teacher and what they’re looking for from a parent when it comes to supporting a child. Make time to attend school events, parent-teacher conferences and school open days to meet your child’s teachers and ask about their homework policies and how you should be involved. That way teachers will tell you about your child’s weaknesses and strengths as well as areas they want you to engage. Plan ahead to avoid January blues To avoid January shenanigans, parents and guardians can plan ahead and save up what they need for the beginning of the new school term, well ahead of the festive season. While it is a difficult ask, those who are able to save money to pay school fees, buy scholastic materials and other expenses, are able to smoothly sail through the school reopening period, without encountering January blues. Several banks and financial institutions, as well as insurance companies, have products that encourage parents and guardians to save for their children’s education, setting aside even something small, which can accumulate and be helpful at the time of need.
