ach year millions of children return to school after some amount of time off. Though there are many practical tips in preparing for the new year, I want to focus on a number of tips to help you and your child(ren) have the most successful year. According to a report of the National Retail Federation in 2007, consumers spent over $18 billion in back to school supplies. With that in mind, the amount of money we invest in our children for pencils, paper, rulers, staplers, etc., cannot compare to the individual investment into our children’s lives that can help them make wise choices as well as staying safe throughout the school year.
A few weeks prior to school starting you will want to get the kids back on a regular schedule of eating right and getting to bed and waking up at the time they need to once school starts again. Too often we fall into some “not so good” habits of staying up late and sleeping late that can be easily adjusted if we start early enough. Be consistent. If you will establish and keep to a schedule then your children will feel healthier, be happy and more alert throughout their day.
One thing I have observed over the past couple of years is that our schools are growing, not just the number of schools we have but the actual size of the schools. Just around the corner from where I live they are building a brand new school, expected to host 1,800 kindergarten through eighth grade students. This can be overwhelming as well as intimidating for some kids. If your child is going into a large school you should assure them that everything will be awesome and that they will just have the opportunity to make many more new friends.
There are a few ways that I have found to stay “up to date” with what my kids are doing at school. Last year my daughter who was in 5th grade had a teacher who had a website that he created. It explained not only what was going on in the class, but also had different links to educational games, calendar of events and directions to all their reports and projects. It was an awesome tool that was very helpful for both my daughter and myself. He also sent home daily e-mails detailing their homework as well as a progress report of what they learned that day. This was a great way to stay connected.
If you have the opportunity, volunteering in your kids’ classrooms is a great way to be involved with your kids and what they are doing as well as being a real blessing to the teachers as they welcome the help. The more involved you stay with your kids the more opportunity you also have to stay connected with their friends and who they are hanging out with. Be aware of the struggles your child may be having. Too often we don’t see the struggles until it is a big problem. It is important to know who your kids are hanging around with. Kids are very influential and peer pressure can be very challenging for most kids. By actively being involved in your kids classes you can see their behavior as well as those around them.
One last thing, listen to what your children are telling you. Too often we are busy living life and we don’t take time to sit down with our kids and listen to them. If you have more than one child, take time with them individually. Kids are generally very open, especially when they know you care and are there for them.
Though the paper, pencils, notebooks, etc. are important, nothing is more important then the investment you put into your child that will help them grow into the person they desire to be. Stay connected and enjoy them at every stage of their life.