Can you remember a time when you did something you hadn’t prepared for? Did you feel a sudden rush of emotions shaking hands, and the inability to speak? Just as entering into new situations is hard for adults, imagine how much more difficult unfamiliar circumstances are for our children who are still learning to process life at their young age. When a child enters a new school, often they are filled with fear and anxiety. It is our job, as loving parents, to help our children navigate this new and unchartered territory. Here are top nine suggestions of how parents can help children bridge the gap between summer and school.
1. Establish A School Sleeping Routine
Students get used to staying up late and waking up later during the summer breaks. Help your child establish a bedtime for the school year a week before school starts. Create an evening routine for your child to follow ten to fifteen minutes before bedtime (e.g. using the bathroom, brushing their teeth, evening prayers). Place an alarm clock in your child’s room and teach him or her how to set it. Get the entire household involved in these routines to communicate your support for your child’s success.
2. Encourage Healthy Eating Patterns
Proper nutrition plays an important role in your child’s physical development and effective performance at school. Healthy eating habits can also be built into a student’s regular routine. Involve your child in planning the lunch menu for each week of school. Allow your child to pick out his or her favorite snack to be packed for break time. Plan to sit down together as a family for at least one meal a day at the same time (e.g. dinner at 7:00pm).
3. Shop For Supplies
Check the list of school supplies provided by the LBBCA office with your child and figure out any supplies you will still need to purchase. Schedule a trip to the mall to buy these supplies. Make this shopping trip fun by planning one last “hurrah” before the summer ends (e.g. bowling, pizza).
4. Motivate your child to express their fears to you
Your child may have some worries or fears about the upcoming school year. Help your child practice coping skills that will enable him or her to deal with any anxiety that he or she may be feeling. Regularly ask the question, “How are you?” with a sincere desire to learn about your child’s emotional well-being. Ask follow-up probing questions if they seem hesitant to share something with you that is clearly bothering them. Take the time to stop what you are doing, validate any feelings of fear, and help your child create a plan to solve the problem. Role-playing possible scenarios with your child might give them confidence to respond to situations that cause him or her anxiety. Redirect your child’s focus by discussing exciting things they enjoy about school.
5. Visit the School
If your child is a new student, arrange for a visit to take a tour of the school. Show your child the Learning Center, classrooms, play area, and the bathrooms. Meet your child’s teacher and talk about how to help your child excel this school year.
6. Pack the bag
Make preparing for school an exciting task with your child. Pack the new school supplies into the backpack the night before. After your child goes to bed, slip in a treat or two that they can discover when they open their bag on the first day of school.
7. Speak with the teacher
If your child is struggling with some separation anxiety or stranger anxiety, discreetly let his or her teacher know. LBBCA teachers are more than willing to show extra love and care for students who need it most.
8. Praise And Give Reward
After their first day, praise and reward your child for brave behavior! Reinforce any positive behavior your child displayed throughout the day—working hard, showing kindness to others, being helpful in the Learning Center, or expressing respect to authority. Create a plan for any areas he or she may need to improve on.
9. Schedule a time for family Devotions
Help your child cultivate a love for God throughout the year. Take fifteen to thirty minutes each night to spend praising God, reading the Bible, and praying together.
Taking time to implement these nine suggestions into our family routine will go a long way to helping our children adjust to school life again. Sometimes with a new school year, children and parents are doing all they can to get by from day to day. But with God’s help, some organization, and concentrated effort, we can make sure that our children are not just surviving school, but rather, they are thriving in the environment where God has placed them.
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