The start of each new school year is both exciting and stressful for parents and students. We’ve assembled a few tips that can help you start the year off in a positive direction.
Meet the New Teacher
Almost every school district has a “Meet the Teacher” night. A leading cause of back-to-school anxiety is the uncertainty of knowing whether your student and the teacher will be a good fit. Having the chance to meet and talk before the school year starts can ease the transition. Be sure to have realistic expectations at this event. You may only get a few minutes of the teacher’s time. If you need a one-on-one meeting, email the teacher and set up a separate meeting. If you can’t make it to the back-to-school night event, find the teacher’s picture on the school’s website and show this to your child.
Tour the School
If you happen to be going to a new school, “Meet the Teacher” night is a good opportunity to tour the school and help familiarize yourself with the layout. If it is the same school, it may be good to take some time to re-familiarize yourself with it. Your child may not have been to this side of the school or the school may have had some upgrades, including construction or painting.
Connect with Classmates
Contact the parents of some of your child’s former classmates and find out if they will be in the same class again. Starting school with even one friend can help build the excitement of a new school year. You may even be able to arrange some activities before school starts to get them familiar with each other.
Supply up
Grab the class school supplies list and take your child with you as you shop for the essentials. Having them with you will allow them to pick out a few things (Favorite color notebook, pen, markers, lunch box and back pack), and this may help keep things positive as they have a few supplies that they love and picked out themselves. Your supplies list will also give you a heads up on what you should expect throughout the year. Come up with some crafts or art projects to provide some practice with their new items.
Communicate Expectations about Routines
During the summer months, we attempt to read and stay active in learning. Start off with a blank slate and just focus on getting them to remember what classes they have and discuss what their daily routine will look like. Consider typing up a schedule with photos for younger children to illustrate when they will wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, do homework, attend after school activities, help with chores, eat dinner and bedtime. Research tells us that kids crave structure and a routine. It will be challenging to get back to a set routine after a summer of fun and video games. Also, encourage your student to remember what will happen tomorrow, including checking the weather and picking out clothing. This will help them remember what homework is due and what part of their schedule changes from day to day.
Ease the schedule flip
Make sure that you avoid the first day of school mayhem and chaos. Start your school routine at least a few days before school starts to get used to it and make it much less stressful. Even practice getting into the car or walking to the bus stop just so you can adjust times if needed. An established schedule can help ease the stress for everyone.
We hope our teachers and students have a great year!
The Allen Firm
The Allen Firm, PC
181 S. Graham Street | Stephenville, Texas 76401
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The Allen Firm, PC is composed of a team of attorneys located in Stephenville, Texas. Our mission is to improve people’s lives by providing reliable and practical help with their legal matters while operating under our values of honoring people, operating with integrity and striving for excellence. We offer help in forming businesses or companies, estate planning, lawsuits, real estate, probate, oil and gas, collections, agriculture, bankruptcy, family law, and accident and injuries.