Off to school preparations
by Crystal
The start of school can be stressful for both
children and parents, no matter how old
they are. Making a check list can help in
making sure you have everything covered
for the first day of school. Here are a few
things you may want to think about when
making your checklist for the first day of
school. The checklist is for age 3-12.
One month before
One month before school it is very important
to set a routine for bedtime and for
getting ready for school in the morning. By
doing this ahead of time, you will save a lot
of heartache before the first day of school.
You can achieve this by setting a time that
your child goes to bed and wakes up each
morning.
Another thing to think about is that this is
the time to talk to your child about school,
and how they are going to make new friends
and have new activities. You may want to
read books with themes about school and
making new friends. If your child is older,
then it is a good idea to talk to them about
the school year, the extra activities they
will be responsible for, homework, practice
time, and also their down time. Next, try
to cover safety information like your child’s
full name, address, telephone number, and
their parent’s names after that. Now is also a
good time to clear the clutter by the two of
you going through your child’s clothes, toys,
books, etc. Make sure your child tries on his
or hers clothes from last year, to see if they
still fit. You can talk to your child about
giving the items to donation, and how that
my help others.
Two weeks before
Two weeks before school is the time to
plan how your child will get to school and
how they will get home. If some one else
other than your self will take them and/
or pick them up, set a meeting place. Also
make sure that your child is aware of how
they will go to school and how they will
come home. If for some reason there are
any changes to the plans for how your child
will get to school or home, let them know
ahead of time. Also make sure you know the
route to school, also talk to your child about
how they will get to school. You should also
take the time to buy school gear, before the
rush. Call the school and get an updated
list from your child’s teacher or school office
and mark the supplies with your child’s
name. This includes any school uniform.
Visit the school with your child, this way he
can see his classroom and meet his teacher.
This will give a chance to explore their
new space. If your child will have lunch at
school, it is a good idea to practice lunch.
Let your child know what is expected of
them and what they may have for lunch.
Plan for homework
Buy extra supplies just for the home, this
will help with homework. Also let your
child help pick a homework area, where
they will feel comfortable for their studies.
This area should be well lit, quiet, comfortable,
and isn’t near distractions, like the
TV. The last but one of the most important
things to do is make sure your child’s medical
records are updated and that the school
has a copy of them. Also let the school
know of any special medical needs.
Days before
One or two days before school decide on a
first-day outfit, with your child, for the big
day. This is a big day for them, and they
want everything to be perfect as well. Plan
your child’s breakfast as it is important for
them to have a healthy start for school. One
way to show how important school is and
how proud your are for your child’s first day
of school is to make sure they have a energy
packed breakfast on the first day. Also make
their favorite dinner the night before. Make
sure your child’s items are pack up and arranged
for school in one place. Also make
sure that your child’s backpack is supplied
and ready for school. Your child should
know where this area is and where the items
go. This will help with making your morning
run smoother, by not having to look for
things.
First day of school
It is very important to plan your goodbye;
if this is their first day of school as a
child, then you need to make sure you are
also ready for the first day. This can be an
emotional day for both of you. Even if you
cannot take your child to school every day,
try to make a plan where you can at least be
there for the first day, as this is an important
day.
Setting a bedtime routine can be a daunting
thought for most parents, here are some tips
for setting a bedtime routine. If your child
is too young to tell time, then it may be
easier than you think to get them to go to
bed at an earlier time. If you already have
a bedtime routine, then just move it to the
correct time for school, but if your child is
older, than you will need to have a talk with
them about bedtime. Also you will probably
have to go slowly with changing the
bedtime. If there is not a routine, then this
is a good time to make one.
You can set up your routine by having a
time for dinner, bath, brushing teeth, reading,
and the good night time. The evening
with the family should be a routine, and
it should be kept simple, so that you can
repeat it every night. After just a couple of
nights, you and your child should know the
clues to night-night time.
If after a few weeks, your child is having
problems with the new bedtime. It is time
to troubleshoot. If your child is falling
asleep at the new time, but is having trouble
waking up, then you may need to try a earlier
bed time. If this does not work, cut our
any caffeine (watch out for hidden caffeine)
and some evening TV watching. If your
child is still having problems, you may want
to check with your child’s doctor.
Final words
I hope these tips help you and your child to
have a easy, wonderful time going back to
school. This is an exciting time for the both
of you, and with a little hard work, you can
have a great start. Just remember that your
child is probably excited about school, and
that’s the way it should be.