Back To School – The Countdown Begins!

As the holidays draw to a close many families have a mixture of feelings. While it is sad to see the excitement and fun of summer days and free time disappear, many parents may secretly be looking forward to the return of the school routine and less time juggling playdates between work commitments.

Whatever the new school year means to you and your family, it is undoubtedly important to start getting prepared in the final few weeks of the holidays. Build an air of excitement around the new year, get engaged with your children’s learning and set goals for your family.

Here are a few ideas that could help you along the way:

Encourage

Similar to adults, children will feel motivated by setting achievable goals that are presented in a fun and engaging way.

In fact, research shows that kids who participate in setting learning goals are consistently more motivated and take learning more seriously.

Ask your children what they want to aim for this year, what they would like to improve or challenge themselves with.

Engage

It is important that you engage with your child’s curriculum so you can understand areas they may need to improve and also be there to assist with any stress triggers as they arise.

Most kids deal with some level of stress or anxiety about school. One survey found that 53 per cent of parents cite homework and schoolwork as the greatest driver of stress in their kids.

You do not need to know the answers to their homework, you simply need to know what they are being asked to complete.

Prepare

On the week before school starts it could be a good idea to begin a new routine which is conducive to longer days of study, giving them energy to last all day.

A big part of this is ensuring children have enough sleep and, during school holidays, bedtimes often get thrown out of whack.

Try instilling a rule of no technology an hour before bed and gradually bringing their bedtime back to school suitable hours, that way the transition is not so much of a shock.

Get Excited!

Granted, holidays are fun and free whilst school terms can be more about structure and schedules, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little excitement to the start of a new school year.

Going shopping for school supplies together and letting kids pick out their own pens, notebooks and other school supplies can help them get excited about going back to school, even if it means the shopping trip might take a bit longer.

Also keep in mind that kids are often quick to pick up on our attitudes towards things, so try to speak positively about school and emphasise the positive aspects of it, such as their friends and teachers or the cool things they’ll have a chance to learn.

Information in the article sourced from Marianne Stenger from Open Colleges Australia.

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