bts: be prepared
Filed Under Tips & Tricks | September 1, 2009
The summer holidays are winding down and it’s time to start thinking about making the transition from the unstructured days of summer to the more scheduled routine of fall and from summer fun to school days. So we asked Sharon Selby, a local child counsellor and the creator of the Phonics Wizard, for key tips on how to make that transition easier for your kids, and for you:
- Make time to go to your pre-school or elementary school and play on the playground. Many teachers will be in the classroom the week before school starts and will often take five minutes to say hello and connect with your child.
- If your child’s school is in your neighbourhood try to walk your child to school as often as you can. It‘s a wonderful and secure feeling for children to walk hand-in-hand to school with a parent, chatting and feeling filled up with attention and love before being handed over to the classroom teacher.
- Think about how you can make your morning routine hurry-free. A lot of morning stress comes hurrying and not wanting to be late. It’s important to arrive at school on time, as kids are more comfortable entering the classroom together rather than getting unwanted attention for being late. Your goal? Pack and organize whatever you can the night before, wake up with enough time for a healthy sit-down breakfast and have time for a leisurely walk or drive to school.
- Write your child little notes for their snack or lunch box. Even a pre-schooler can be taught to read “I heart (insert heart drawing here) U” or “xoxox”. You could also tape a photo of your family to the inside of a lunch box.
And don’t forget this is a transition for you as well. If you’re feeling anxious or sad about your child heading off to school they’ll pick up on that. Instead take a deep breath and try and celebrate this milestone with a hug and smile while looking forward to all the new experiences that lay ahead.
For more helpful tips on getting ready to go back to school we’d recommend our previous article back to (pre) school and here’s a great list of kids’ books with a starting school theme.
Sharon Selby, B.Ed., M.A., is a local child counsellor. She is the author of The Phonics Wizard Reading Series: a fun learn-to-read program for parents to teach their own children early literacy skills for ages 2-7. Click here for her previous columns.
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