7 Ways To Survive The Start Of The School Year
|
It happens every year. Just when you are settled in to the lazy days of summer, you are startled to find Back to School catalogs in your mailbox and bikinis going on sale in favor of turtlenecks. Your local store has devoted an entire aisle to pencils, notebooks, and lunch bags. Soon there will be no more long days at the beach, late nights watching movies with popcorn, or mornings free of alarm clock jitters. It's enough to make you dread September, but it doesn't need to be that way. With a slight change in attitude and a plan in place, September can be one of the best months of the year.
1. Practice
Don't wait until Labor Day to get ready for the changeover to the school year. Begin pulling back bedtime during the last two weeks of August-around 8:30 to 9:00 PM for elementary school kids.
2. Lower Your Expectations
Major transitions equal disruption. Routines change and priorities shift. Allow yourself extra leeway when it comes to chores and tasks. Avoid scheduling appointments during the month surrounding the start of the school year.
3. Carve Out Extra Time
Clear the decks of added responsibilities so that you can get through the transition with less stress. Don't sign up for your usual extra-curricular activities. Keep your family commitments to a minimum.
4. Motivate Your Kids
Preparing for school isn't a job only for parents. The students themselves have things they must do to get ready. Make all the back to school activities, like shopping for school clothes, a fun family event. Devote the first week of school to getting settled and having fun as a family. Plan pizza nights and ice cream socials. Schedule extra game nights and buy a new puzzle.
5. Ask for Help
Reduce your stress during this transition. Enlist help to complete all the back to school tasks. Hire a babysitter to watch your younger children while you take your older children to buy school clothes. Ask grandparents to supervise school supplies purchases.
6. Set the Tone
Set a positive tone for the new school year. If you approach September with the kind of dread usually associated with prison terms, you can be sure your kids aren't going to be too happy about going to school. On the other hand, if you show interest and excitement in what lies ahead, then your child will be eager to get started.
7. Focus
The beginning of a new school year is an important time for a child. The whole family should be interested and involved in the process. Express interest about the upcoming year, classes, and school friends. Share your school memories. Celebrate this new beginning!
The beginning of a new school year can be an exciting time for a family. It's a fresh start with new teachers and classmates, and perhaps even a new school. Planning for the best possible beginning to the year shows your child how much you care. The more effort you put into it, the more you and your child will reap the rewards.
Katie Basson is a parent, teacher, and creator of The BITs Kit Better Behavior Kit for Kids?. Katie teaches seminars on behavior modification techniques, and assists parents through challenging behavioral and educational issues. She serves on the Board of Directors of the YWCA and is an educational advisor to Zoesis, Inc., a children's software company. Katie's expert advice has been sought for articles in The Boston Globe and Parents Magazine. Sign up for her biweekly Parenting Solutions newsletter at www.bitskit.com.
|
|
|
Social Engineering Via Robotic Toddlers
Is there a way to build a robot to help toddlers and pre-schoolers learn proper social behavior without the parents intervention? A robotic friend so to speak; one, which will play with the child and explore colors and shapes. Perhaps build legos? Now before you say I am wacked, let's discuss this. The parents cannot be everywhere all the time. Also the child needs to learn to get along and share with others and be self-sufficient; a robotic partner and friend with a special behavior program.We could call this invention "RoboFriend" which would teach the child in the early years that shari...(related: Parenting)
Delightful Defrazzlers
I will cherish this moment. I will not let it slip away like sand between my fingers.Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come, but I have this moment today!(Unknown)With the crazy kinds of schedules that moms need to cope with today It's more important than ever to learn how to grab hold of moments to refresh, strengthen and nourish our souls and bodies. If you asked most mothers what their biggest frustration is, I think you'd find that one of them is a lack of time to look after their own needs so that they can be more effective at their mothering.The key for me has been the ability to find small moments ? like five minutes - and then use them well. The trick is being prepared! Here are some ideas to get you started."Mini Car-Spa"...(related: Parenting)
Influencing Adolescents - Guided Democracy
You need to smart to be able influence adolescents. You need to be able to stand back a little, hold your tongue and wait your turn to speak.Recently, Sam my seventeen year old son, said "No way" to our requests to wear some decent clothes to an upcoming on-stage event. Sam was chosen to read a piece of his written work on stage in front of 200 people in a plush venue ...(related: Parenting)
How To Parent Your Teen Effectively
Maintain CommunicationEven though teens need to separate from their parents during adolescence, they also need to know that the safety net of home and family is always there for them. If the lines of communication are shut down, they are not yet capable of surviving emotionally; they need support and input. Let's take a look at a few guidelines for keeping the lines of communication open between parents and teenagers.1. Pay attention to the small things along with the significant things. If you are generally a good listener, your teen will be more likely to talk to you.2. When your teen talks to you, pay attention. Don't be doing something else.3. If you can't pay attention right at the moment, explain...(related: Parenting)
Parenting Your Teenager: The Power Struggle
Q: My husband and I are at a loss as to what to do with our two teenagers. They have been great kids and all of a sudden it seems like we are in teenage hell! We keep fighting to see the kids we once knew, and they keep fighting to get their own way. We have been considering family counseling, and really would like to know what goes on in counseling. Can you give us some help with our kids and what to expect in counseling?Sure can. Here's how it usually goes. I get a call from a w...(related: Parenting)
What Is Child Sexual Abuse?
What is child sexual abuse? Any sexual activity that is imposed on a child by an adult or an adolescent is a sexual assault and abuse of the power of one person over another. This also includes experiences of child to child, teen to child, teen to teen, if there is an age difference of four or more years.The key word in this definition is imposed on a child. Children are trained to trust adults, as well they should. When an adult asks, manipulates or forces a child to do something that is against the child's best interest and welfare, they are imposing an experience that w...(related: Parenting)
New Baby ? Relax And Become A Yummy Mummy
Lets face it becoming a mum is a bit of a shock at first, to say the least. Sleepless nights and eventful days make it a struggle to get a shower and wash your hair in the morning, never mind applying make up and fiddling with volume brushes and hairdryers. This is why most mums have swapped their kitten heels and sleek hair for the more comfortabl...(related: Parenting)
My Children
I have been a single mom for almost 20 years. My kids were 3, 7, 12 and 14 when my ex left.As a single mom, it's often hard because you are the only one to deal with the children. Although, this can often be a blessing as well. There is no one for them to play against you.Often you second guess yourself and wonder if what you are doing is right. There are times when you are and there are times when you aren't. Ove...(related: Parenting)
Finding Out Your Child Has A Disability: Its Not The End Of The World
Finding out that a child has been born with a disability, or that a previously healthy child has suffered an injury or disease that causes a disability can be the most traumatic moment in a parent's life. Shock is usually the first thing people experience. It can temporarily paralyze you, preventing you from taking action, or even making rational decisions. In this difficult first period it is always wise to take the counsel of professionals and family members with experience or others whom you trust, while always maintaining the right to make the final decision yourselves.After coming to grips with the shock of their situation, many parents come to feel that their expectations have been dashe...(related: Parenting)
Creating A Memorable Travel Journal Using A Stuffed Animal
You may remember The Red Couch Project, a book by artists Kevin Clarke and William Least Heat published in the 1980s documenting the travels of a red velvet couch across America.This is a wonderful concept to adapt in creating a travel journal or scrapbook for your child, making a personalized photo history of his adventures and connecting him with the experiences for years to come.The idea is to photograph your child's toy with the landmarks, activities and specia...(related: Parenting)
What About Adhd Teens And Driving?
This is one of the most common questions asked of me by parents of teenagers who have ADHD.
"Should I let my teen drive when he turns 16? He seems so immature. But it would mean so very much to him."
Wait. Where did our wisdom as parents go? Should we let an immature 16 year old...(related: Parenting)
Parenting Your Teenager: Of Course You Can Search Your Teens Room
Q. We recently caught our son smoking pot, and we wonder whether he's doing more stuff. We have reason to believe he has been hiding drugs in his room, and we're wondering whether we should go into his room to see whether we can find anything. Some parents we've talked to say yes. Others say, "Don't invade his privacy because you will lose his trust." What do you think we should do?A. Based on more than 25 years of working with teen-agers and families, I suggest:Absolutely, yes, go check out his room.I say this for at least ...(related: Parenting)
Childrens Allowance
When we consider that the word allowance means, "allowing for," it puts that "A" word into better perspective.Children will need access to their own stash of cash when they reach a certain age. Kids develop this need around age 8 or 9 and it grows into the monster it will become by about age 15 or 16 ... they do get more expensive with age, don't they?At age 8, we began giving our older daughter money for each A on her report card and for each 100% on tests. We receive flack from other parents about it to this day. Mainly, their argument is that children should do well in school because they "want to." Is this the same as "just because?" Sounds like it to me. I think parents a...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting