The time has come that most kids across the country have dreaded and parents have anticipated with baited breath. School will begin for the 2010-2011 school year across the US and that means that the backs to school rituals have begun.
Shopping for back to school accessories, new backpacks and jackets, new clothes that are hung in the closet with strict rules from thrifty parents “not to wear until school starts” take up the last few weeks of summer.
One more element needs to be put at the top of the back to school list. It is as vital to our kids’ success for the coming school year as having the right calculator for Math class: a school attitude.
We don’t have to beat the importance of school into our kids heads over the next 3 weeks, but there are ways to slowly turn them back to the school time mentality so when they get up on that first day of school, they’re better prepared to succeed as they move through the halls.
Three steps to gearing up for school:
1. Change the alarm clock. Sounds simple right? Well, anyone who has tried to drag a teenage kid out of bed before 10AM on a given summer day knows that the first few weeks (read: months) of school can begin with the fight to just get them out of the house on time.
To help your child adjust to school hours, begin the transition by setting the alarm back to an hour beyond their school way up time for a week, then back it up in increments weekly until you get to the week when they’ll begin the new school year. Be sure to give them a few days to adjust before the big day.
2. Sweep out the cobwebs. Find a book (or two) that your child enjoyed last year or wants to read and begin with daily reading to get those gears turning in their heads to sweep out the summer dust. Increase the reading time weekly until it’s time to return to the classroom.
3. Talk about what to expect this year. It’s common to build up the first day of school for kindergartners, but the same rule applies for all kids. No matter what grade your child is in, they should have some goals and curiosities for the next 180 days of school time. Give them a boost with talk about focus, friends, activities and goals.
Every year, the first day of school can be the next step towards our kids’ success. Be sure to give them every advantage for the year ahead.
Posted By: Paul Adams
Wednesday, August 25th 2010 at 10:07PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
