Back to School: Tips for a Smooth Transition
As summer vacation draws to a close and the beginning of a new school year rapidly approaches, parents and children alike are experiencing excitement, anxiety and curiosity in anticipation of the first day of school. Parents of children starting school for the first time may also be experiencing sadness as their little one leaves the nest and embarks on this new adventure. They may worry about their child's learning aptitude, adaptability and social relationships.
As the school year approaches, it is important to take a deep breath and take one day at a time. The following ideas are intended to provide confidence and support to parents preparing their children for the transition.
Tips for Parents of Preschool and Kindergarten Students
1. Take time to talk to your children about going to school. Answer any questions they may have. Your child may have fears that can be addressed and alleviated simply by discussing them. Focus on the aspects of school your child finds exciting. Maybe your child is excited about riding the bus for the first time, or eager to make new friends. She or he may be looking forward to working with computers or playing on the playground. Tell your child about the types of things he or she will learn. Share your own positive memories from your first days of school with your child.
2. Reduce your child's fear of the unknown. If your school has an open house, take your child. By letting your child meet her or his teacher, explore the classroom, and even play on the playground, will help your child know what to expect when she or he arrives to school on the first day.
3. Allow your child to begin to establish independence. If your child has not had daycare or preschool experience, schedule some time for her or him to be away from home and from you. Have your child spend time with trusted relatives or friends for a few hours.
4. Make sure your child knows the plan for the first day. Walk your child through the day. Talk about waking up, having a good breakfast and then taking the bus or driving to school. Discuss arriving at school, going to their classroom, meeting their teacher and classmates and learning new things. Don't forget to talk about the end of the day, walking to the bus, or to the car and traveling back home. Plan to have a special call to a grandparent, or sharing time at dinner to talk about their first day.
5. Have a plan for the night before the first day. Talk about preparing his or her backpack, planning for lunch (if bringing lunch or snack), and getting to bed on time. If your child will be going to bed earlier once school starts, start tucking them in close to that time now and establish this routine bedtime now, so it is not difficult the night before the first day.
6. Make shopping for school supplies fun. As back to school advertisements arrive in the mail, newspaper or are shown on TV, talk about how much fun getting their supplies will be. Start talking about the type of backpack, pencil case, etc. you child is looking forward to using at school.
7. Let your child play "pretend school." Use a chalk or dry erase board to practice spelling your child's name and beginning word. Take time to read to you child, and allow them to read to you, even if they are telling the story based on pictures.
8. Be prepared for a few tears! You may find that your little one isn't the only one who tears up when you are leaving the classroom. It is not uncommon for parents to grow emotional at this time, especially if they see their little one tearing up. Don't fret, for many children the tears dry up once parents are gone and their day begins.
11. Be prepared for more than a few tears! If your child experiences more than a few tears, and instead holds on tightly and cries frantically, as hard as it is, the best thing a parent can do is to leave quickly. Children tend to get more wound up and upset the longer the parent stays. As with children who shed just a few tears, most children settle down fairly quickly and enjoy the day. This behavior sometimes continues for the first week or two. As children acclimate to the new routine, the behavior typically disappears.
12. Remember the school staff can help with the transition. If your child continues to experience difficulty transitioning to school after the first few weeks, the school has many supports that can help your child reduce their anxiety and respond more favorably to school. Administrators, clinic aides, school counselors and school psychologists are on hand to support your child. They can establish a safe place for your child to go if they are feeling overwhelmed. These professionals will work with the parents and children to help overcome this bump in the road.
Tips for Parents of Returning Students
1. Alleviate first day jitters. If you child is anxious, reassure her or him that they are not the only one who gets the back to school jitters. Talk to them about how exciting it will be to meet their teachers and see their friends again. Discuss your child's memories of previous years, and how they returned home after the first day eager to talk about catching up with their friends and meeting their teacher and classmates.
2. Help your child pick out a special "first day" outfit. This will help them feel confident as they enter the classroom on day one. If your child wears a uniform, pick out special jewelry, shoes or watch to demonstrate their unique style.
3. Help your child be well-prepared with the necessary supplies. To reduce stress in the morning, and help your child get out of the door on time, encourage them to prepare the backpack the night before and establish this routine from day one. Set aside a specific time, maybe after dinner or just before bed, to prepare the backpack on a daily basis.
4. Prepare for a healthy start. In order to make the first day as happy and healthy as possible, make sure your child gets plenty of sleep, and starts the day with a good breakfast. Be sure your kids fill up on a healthy protein-rich breakfast, so hunger pangs don't put a damper on their first day.
5. Let's talk about it! Allow time for your child to tell the family all about their first day and ask them what their favorite part of the day was. By staying focused on the positive, your child can look forward to another successful day.
Best wishes for an enjoyable and successful school year, from beginning to end!
Caryn B. Forbes is a licensed school psychologist with a practice is conveniently located in the Tyson's Corner are of Virginia. Services offered include comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, which include suggestions for school interventions to maximize learning potential. Evaluations include tests of cognitive ability (intelligence tests), achievement (reading, math and writing), executive functioning, attention and information processing.
Obtaining a learning profile of a student's strengths and weaknesses through a comprehensive assessment is essential in understanding how a student learns and is beneficial in determining appropriate accommodations and interventions at school and home.
Comprehensive psychoeducational assessments assist students who:
- Require a school entrance battery
- Are struggling with academics, attention, memory or retention in school
- Are identified with learning disabilities needing a recent evaluation for college accommodations
For further information, please contact Caryn B. Forbes:
Tel: 703-786-1398
Email: Caryn.Forbes@gmail.com
Address: 8618 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 430, Vienna, VA 22182
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