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Getting Your Children School Ready
by
Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman
Back to school is in the air. Parents are currently being bombarded with
back to school sales in magazines, newspapers, television ads, and store
flyers. Whether you shop on line or wait in line, advertisers suggest
that their store or website has everything you could possibly need to
get your child school ready.
Have you made your list yet? Most lists include: a book bag, pens,
pencils, glue stick, spiral note pad, compass, calculator, 3-ring
binder, gym shoes, and clothes. You may even have a lunch box on your
list.
But are these things what your children really need in order to be ready
for school? Perhaps getting your child school ready involves more that
buying things. Maybe supplies are not what you need to supply for your
child to get them off to a good start this school year. It just might be
that the best getting ready for school strategies you can employ are not
found at the mall or your local department store. Consider the
following.
Below are five suggestions for getting your children school ready. Do
they need to be on your back to school list?
1. Start the school schedule early. Break the summer
sleep-in/stay-up late mode. Begin the morning and evening school routine
at least two weeks before school actually starts. Don’t expect that you
child will be able to make the adjustment to getting up for school
quickly or easily without a break in period. Take the full two weeks to
work into the routine slowly by adjusting the bedtime and wakeup time a
few minutes everyday until the desired time is reached. Your goal is to
have the schedule set prior to the first day of school.
2. Create a positive attitude about going back to school.
Talk to your children about being able to see their friends,
meet their new teacher and all the opportunities that being at school
provides. Focus on your child’s area of interest and emphasize all the
ways in which school helps to enhance that topic. When your child speaks
negatively, redirect him into the positive.
3. Visit the school. Reacquaint your child with the
school. During the summer classrooms change, teachers transfer to new
buildings, principals are reassigned, and new playground equipment gets
installed. Don’t wait for orientation day to get reacquainted. Go to the
school and play on the play ground, meet the new principal or office
personnel, talk to the janitor.
4. Set goals for the upcoming school year. Help your
children create realistic expectations for themselves about school. Talk
about what they want to accomplish this school year, not what you want
them to accomplish. Remember not all of school is about grades. Making
new friends, speaking out in class, standing up for oneself, staying
organized, and managing behavior are all crucial skills for a successful
school year.
5. Model learning. Create a time in your home when
everyone is involved in learning related activities such as reading,
playing with numbers, telling family stories, journaling, or quiet
reflection. Turn off the television and video games and have a set time
for the whole family to feed their brain. In fact, model learning year
round, even through the summer months. This will set the stage for
homework. A study time can be a logical extension of the learning time
you have in your home.
Give your kids every opportunity to be ready for school this year. Head
to the mall or department store with your list of needed items and
remember to add to your list the suggestions above. By doing so you give
your kids what they really need to begin this school year---structure,
energy, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude.
About
the Authors:
Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman are the authors of The 10
Commitments: Parenting with Purpose. They are two of the world's
foremost authorities on raising responsible, caring, confident children.
They publish a free monthly e-zine for parents. To sign up for it or
obtain more information about how they can help you or your family,
visit their website today:
www.personalpowerpress.com
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