Many families around the country are gearing up to send their kids back to school. After a school year when 90% of students were remote at least part-time, it’s a welcome time for many families, but of course, it can also bring a little anxiety.
You might have a summer that felt more normal this year than last, thanks to vaccines. Many families took vacations this year or once again had family get-togethers, and that return to normalcy might make the transition into the school year a little easier for some.
With both the challenges and the excitement of a new school year in mind, the following are some things to know to help your child get ready.
Develop a Routine Now
You aren’t just returning to a sense of structure and routine after one summer off. Some kids have been living in a pretty unstructured remote learning environment for more than a year.
They might have had a lot of asynchronous learning time, and they could complete tasks on their own time in many instances.
If children and teens are returning to full-time, in-person learning, that flexibility is ending.
Being successful in the traditional learning environment, particularly for younger kids, is as much about following rules and routines as anything else.
Start promoting this now by waking your child up close to the time they’ll wake up for school, even if it’s weeks away. You should also set a bedtime that they follow, at least during the week.
Start having meals including breakfast and lunch at a set time, and reduce screentime and other distractions during the day.
When you start following a routine, you might want to write it down so that your child can clearly see it. This is often something teachers will do in their classrooms.
Manage Expectations
Your child, depending on where you live, might not have been to in-person school in over a year. They may have forgotten entirely what to expect. Even if your child did have some in-person school last year, they might still be nervous about what this particular school year will look like.
Talk to them and manage their expectations. Let them know what the school guidelines are and generally what their days might look like when they’re in school.
Take Advantage of Meet the Teacher
If your child’s school is having an open house or meet the teacher event, it’s strongly recommended that you attend. This is going to be one of the best ways to prepare your child for what to expect, particularly if they’re starting in a new school.
Walk around with them and let them get comfortable with where their classroom is and the school's layout when they’re with you.
Don’t Make Your Child More Anxious
Of course, as parents, we want to do everything we can to reduce the stress and anxiety our children feel about returning to school, but there are things you might do that could be inadvertently making the problem worse.
For example, if you’re always asking leading questions about your child’s worries or anxieties, this will amplify the ones they already have or make them think there is something for them to be worried about if they aren’t already.
When we’re parents, we want to have open and honest conversations with our children, and we want to encourage them to share their feelings, but we have to be careful that we’re not steering the conversation in a more negative direction.
When you talk to your kids about getting ready for the school year, don’t guide them toward fears or feelings. Ask neutral, open-ended questions such as whether or not they’re excited to see their friends and go back to school.
Even if you’re feeling your own sense of fear or nervousness about your child returning to school, try your best not to let them see this. They’re looking to you for reassurance.
Have Fun Buying Supplies
You might not have gone shopping for school supplies last year, and your child could have worn their pajamas for most of the school year.
Signal that it’s time for that to change with in-person back-to-school shopping (if you’re comfortable with it). This will help create enthusiasm, and your child can pick out the items they like.
Let it be time you spend together in preparation for school.
Organize Your Home
You’re going to need to once again get not just your routine organized but your home as well. You’ve probably been working, learning, dining, working out, and just about everything else from home for quite some time.
Before school starts and you return at least somewhat to how your life looked before coronavirus, get things in your living space organized.
Make room for backpacks and lunchboxes, get rid of clothes that no longer fit your kids, and set up a new homework area for them. You might actually be consolidating what was at one point their school space. Now you’ll probably need less of your home dedicated to studying.
When you organize and get rid of items you no longer need, it’ll help your morning routines be smoother, and it’s also a good mental way to create the concept that you’re moving into a new phase in life which is the start of a new school year.
Be Patient
Finally, no matter how much you prepare and no matter what steps you take, there will be things you forget about or stress about along the way. You should be patient with your kids and yourself during this time of transition.
Your child will probably come home tired and frustrated quite a bit at first, and that’s okay. Let them have the time and space they need in the afternoons to decompress. Give yourself the same grace if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the start of a school year.
You’ll find your groove again, and so will your child.
