Are you worried about getting yourself and your child ready for back-to-school time? 

Do you want more than the same tips on getting uniforms ready, saving money on school supplies and creating routines? Are you interested in helping your child develop life skills that will help them socially and academically? Then you’ll enjoy my back-to-school guide with a difference.

Friends

Did you know that studies have suggested that approximately 75% of your child’s time at school is spent in social interactions?

So, the quality of your child’s interactions with their teachers, peers and their friends has a significant impact on their success at school.

While you can’t pick your child’s friends, you can provide them with strategies that will help them select their friends wisely. You can start by helping your child understand that the idea of just one ‘best friend forever’ can lead to a lot of disappointment and unhappiness as arguments and change are inevitable. Instead encourage your child to enjoy having a number of friends. This is a good strategy as it is less likely to result in your child feeling isolated and alone when disagreements between children arise.

Encouraging your child to be open to diversity in their friendships and to befriend different kinds of people, some who share their own interests and culture and others who don’t, holds many advantages. A final tip is that a child on their own is more likely to want a friend than a child who’s already in a group.

Interacting positively with teachers is so important for you and your child, so take the time to get to know your child’s teachers.

Meet teachers

As you get closer to the back-to-school date organise for a tour of the school with your child and meet with their teachers.

Opening the lines of communication and building a friendly relationship with your child’s teacher will support your child in many ways! You can share any special needs your child may have and discuss any difficulties they may be experiencing.

Your child is more likely to feel more confident on the first day of class if they have already met their teacher. You can also understand more about the activities and new classes for the year and how much and the type of homework to expect.

Homework plays an important role in learning. While most children don’t ‘love’ the idea of doing homework, there are ways to help make it easier.

Homework area

Prepare a special area for your child to study and complete their homework after school. Ideally this is a clean and quiet space with no access to Internet or television.

Involve your child in the design so they feel part of the process and it is inviting for them. Let them know you’ll be available to help with homework once school starts and have their special homework space ready to go by the first day of school with all the school supplies they might need. A timer helps motivate children to complete their homework on time as they know it once it’s done they can play!

Preparing for homework after being away from school and enjoying the summer holidays can result in back-to-school anxiety.

Relieve back-to-school nerves and inspire your child

Talking about the upcoming school year and the changes your child might experience can help reduce some of their back-to-school anxiety. You can also motivate and inspire your child by discussing the exciting new classes, activities and events they can participate in during the year.

School is not always a good experience as it can be a source of problems and difficulties. Children will look to you for guidance and solutions until they can develop their own strategies.

A little kindness goes a long way..

A special surprise for your child

Prepare a little surprise like a personal note, a special photograph or even a treat and place it in your child’s bag for them to find throughout the day. This little surprise will show you care, reassure your child that they are loved and probably inspire a big smile!

On a final note, throughout the year remember to take care of yourself, as a tired and grumpy parent is no fun for anyone.

Happy parents make a happy household. It also sets a great example of work-life balance for your whole family.

You and your child are now ready to start a new school year with confidence! This will make the transition back to school easier and will also help your child develop the key life skills they need to lead a happy and successful life.

For more parenting ideas and resources for helping your child develop key life skills like good self esteem, communication skills, and resilience see my blog.

Main image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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