Summer is half over, and it’s time to start thinking about the new school year. Whether you’re looking forward to your children returning to school or dreading the daily routine, back to school is always a big transition.
Children who are starting school for the first time or moving to a new school face the most challenges. However, a bit of planning can make the first few weeks of school less stressful for your child and you. Here are a few ways to help prepare your child for the next school year.
How To Prepare Your Children For The Next School Year
1. Make Sure Your Child Is Familiar With The School
If this is your child’s first year at school, you should plan some trips. Even if there is a formal orientation day before school starts, begin by visiting the school now.
If you can go to the playground, that’s a great approach to help your child settle in at their new school. If not, appreciate it from behind the fence and encourage them to try out the slide or climbing structure.
If the building is open, go ahead and check it out with your child. If you’re allowed, check out the library, peer into a classroom, use the bathrooms, and introduce your child to the front office staff. Either way, the more your child sees of the school, the less they will be concerned about the unknown and the more comfortable they will be on the first day.
2. Take Advantage Of Any Orientation Opportunities
Many schools let new students, especially those in the younger grades, attend an orientation session before the start of the school year. If the school doesn’t have a program like this, see if you and your child can meet the new teacher for a few minutes before school starts.
Teachers are preoccupied with preparing their classrooms and materials at that time, but any experienced teacher will gladly spare a few minutes to greet a new student and make them feel at ease, knowing that this will help their students settle into the school year.
3. Get To Know Your Child’s Teacher
For your child to feel comfortable, your child needs to feel connected to their teacher in the classroom. If possible, plan for your child to meet the teacher ahead of time.
There are many ways to help your child feel as if they already know a teacher before they meet. When you learn about your child’s classroom assignments, start talking positively about the teacher.
If your child doesn’t seem to have connected with their teacher during the first week of school, don’t hesitate to contact them right away. Simply mention that your child was looking forward to starting school but has yet to settle in.
4. Introduce Your Child To Other Kids
Kids are always nervous about their new teacher, but they will feel more comfortable if they know other students in their classroom. In the weeks leading up to the start of school, many schools are willing to introduce new families to one another, allowing children to meet other new students.
If your child isn’t new to the school, find out who else is in their class and set up a playdate so they feel more connected, especially if they haven’t seen their classmates since the summer. Also, you could arrange for your child to ride to school with a friend on the first day. Even if they aren’t in the same class, it will help to alleviate last-minute nerves.
5. Get Your Child Back On An Early-To-Bed Schedule Before School Starts
During the summer, most children stay up late. Depending on their age and physiology, children require 9 1/2 to 11 hours of sleep per night. It takes a few weeks of gradually adjusting the bedtime earlier to get kids back on schedule so they’re sound asleep by 9 p.m. and can wake up by themselves at 7 a.m. for school.
The night before school starts, imposing an early bedtime results in a child who is simply not ready for an earlier bedtime, having slept in the previous morning and experiencing the night-before-school jitters. So, keep an eye on the calendar and begin moving bedtime a little earlier each night by having your child read in bed for an hour before lights out, which is also good for their reading skills. Make sure to eliminate any screen time at least an hour before bedtime, as this can alter the production of melatonin and make getting to sleep much more difficult.
Hope Lutheran School
Whether you’ve recently moved to the Shawnee area or have been a long-time resident, Hope Lutheran School is an excellent choice if you want to enroll your child in a private school. HLS provides a Christ-centered, academically rigorous education in a nurturing environment.
We offer the highest quality PreK-8 education in Shawnee, with small class sizes and dedicated, qualified, and certified instructors. We would be delighted to speak with you if you are considering Hope Lutheran School for your child. Contact us today for additional information and to schedule a campus visit.