You may be counting down the days until school starts, but your kids probably are not. Help them beat the back-to-school blues with these tips for moms.
Get them back on schedule.
Summer is a time of late nights and lazy mornings. Getting back into a structured schedule can be difficult for kids, especially if it happens suddenly. A few weeks before school starts, begin easing your kids back into bedtimes and wakeup times. They’ll fight it, but the result will be much easier mornings for both you and them when school starts back up. Keep in mind that getting them up in the morning is only half the battle; you have to make sure they get up and get moving. Lying on the couch and watching television won’t help at all, so make sure they wake up to breakfast, a shower or an activity.
| Make their favorite breakfast on the first day of school so they start the day with smiling faces and full bellies. |
Get them excited.
Every kid has something she likes about school, and chances are you know what that is for your child; indulge it. If you have a little diva who loves new clothes, have her pick out special outfits for the first few days of school and don’t let her wear them until the day arrives. She’ll be so excited to put on her new clothes that she won’t even have time to worry about school starting. If you have a social butterfly, let her call her friends to talk about the start of school and find out who has class with whom.
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Smile.
Moms get the back-to-school jitters, too. A million thoughts run through your head during those last few days before school starts. “Will she have fun? Will she fit in? Will she miss me? What will I miss?”
No matter what you’re thinking, don’t let your sadness or worry show through. Your child is much better than you know at picking up your signals, and it’ll be pretty hard to convince her there’s nothing to worry about when you’re crying behind her back. Smiles are contagious, so paint one on if you have to. Save the tears for after the bus pulls away.
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Talk about it.
During the days and weeks leading up to the start of the school year, your child’s mind will be full of thoughts, questions and worries about the year ahead. Talk with her often about it. Ask her what she’s excited about and what worries her, and help her find solutions to any issues she’s having. Talking it out and hearing reassurance may be all she needs to get past it.
Be prepared.
Review her supply list and ensure she has everything that’s on it. Go over her teacher’s name, room number, bus number, locker combination and any other information she’ll need throughout the day.
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More back-to-school tips
Mom secrets for the first day of school
Ways to get involved in your kids’ school
Back to school: Getting your child into learning mode
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