WOMAN 2 WOMAN : Preparing children to get back to school

Going back to school after almost three months of holidays can be either a happy time or something to be dreaded, depending on the child and his or her experience with school. Whether going back to school is happy or not, gradually moving back towards fixed bedtimes and wake-ups in the weeks before school begins, can help a child to resume the daily school routine program without hassling a lot. Going back to school can also be a rough time for a child, especially if they are moving up to a new school, or the family just moved and they have to start school in a new town or city.Since most of the schools will officially open next month, this article is intended to give you ideas on how to prepare your children to go back to school. The first step to preparing your children to go back to school is to make sure they get enough sleep and eat a good breakfast before their first day of school. Studies show that children consistently perform better in school after they have had a healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep. It is important to allow children some flexibility during the long daylight hours, but gradually enforcing earlier bedtimes as school approaches will make those early morning wakings easier. If a child’s bedtime has drifted an hour or more later than it will need to be to allow him enough sleep during school, shift it back by 15 minutes every couple of days instead of moving it suddenly. The other step to preparing your children to go back to school is to track their study habits to ensure your children are keeping up with their studies. Most every student has some down time at school so encourage your children to start their homework during some of their down time. Explain to them that this will just make less work that they will have to do when they get home. Most people who postpone in doing their work do not do as well as people who have planned ahead. So staying on top of their work can help their grades as well as give them more free time after school. You can also prepare children by bringing them with parents to purchase school supplies and new clothes. Choosing a new pencil case and notebooks can help some children get excited about going back to school, and most will have their own opinions about the kind of clothes they want to wear. Practice laying out clothes and supplies the night before so that it will be a routine by the time school starts. The last step to preparing your children to go back to school is to ensure they eat as healthy a diet as possible when they are in school. An easy way to do this is when your children go back to school; get a menu of what is going to be served in the cafeteria for the month (most schools offer these menus). On the days that the meal served does not look to be what you would like your child to eat (or what your child would like to eat) then you can pack them a lunch yourself. This can keep your child eating healthy and can also save you money if you pack their lunch yourself instead of paying for it at school. Whether a child is going to school for the first time or entering the final year of high school, making the transition from holidays to the school routine can be difficult if it is very sudden or unprepared. Help children prepare to go back to school by introducing earlier bedtimes gradually, involving them in choosing new clothes and school supplies, talking about having a new classroom, teacher and classmates, and celebrating the end of the holidays together. bernanamata@gmail.com