Back to School, Getting Kids Ready

Heading back to school can be a stressful endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be! Though it is impossible for you to completely eliminate worry when it comes to your child, we can certainly give you some tips to make the transition from summer to schooling as easy as possible.

Open the Conversation

The easiest way to make a plan tailored to your child’s needs and/or anxieties is to have an open conversation with your child about their feelings. Asking your child to express how returning to school, entering the classroom, making new friends, etc. makes them feel, can provide the perfect starting point for making a plan of action.

Setting Goals

In the aforementioned conversation, you and your child can set educational and social goals for the year as well as go over strategies to tackle these goals. Having goals established for your child can help them pursue creative interests and potentially develop their academic or social skills. Teaching your child to set goals and pursue them will create the foundation for an engaged and motivated approach to learning.

Visiting the Classroom

One way to decrease parent and child anxiety surrounding returning to school is to visit your child’s classroom ahead of time. This can give you both the chance to get a feel for the classroom and make the space more familiar for your child’s first day. Visiting school can also give you, as a parent or guardian, the opportunity to talk with your child’s teacher about any questions or concerns. 

Prepping Immunity

Sending your child back to school during a global pandemic can certainly be frightening. Establishing boundaries with your child concerning sharing food with other students, washing their hands, using hand sanitizer, etc. can help you and your family stay safe amidst a germ-conducive environment. You can also introduce more Vitamin C, whether through citrus or supplement form, to boost your child’s immune system and help keep them safe. You can also set these kinds of boundaries with your child’s teacher, in case your child needs a reminder or faces an issue when you aren’t around.