Ready For School

The start to school would be different this year. There are no babies here anymore.

This year I had one in Pre-k 4 and a first grader. They would be at different schools: my son a brand-new school (both to him and they had literally just finished building his school) and my daughter off to his old school and away from me for the first time in her life.

I wanted a successful start and transition for them and for me. My son, quick to proclaim, “I do not like school!” In which my reply is consistently, “It is not required that you like it, but it is a necessity.” He has been in school now for 3 years and lets just say, the thrill is gone. I do not force him to “like” school. Afterall, I have a doctorate in pharmacy, and I never “liked” school, so his less than enthusiasm for school does not bother me.

I try to teach them that everything that they will have to do and that is required of them they may not enjoy.

Some things are just responsibility, a means to an end. As long as he continues to show that when in school, he does what he needs to do, and he is yet to be a moment’s trouble, we will be fine. In fact, I received a call on Day 2 of this school year from his teacher complementing him and letting me know how kind, dependable, smart he has already shown himself to be: just some of the attributes I know him to have!

My daughter has been homeschooled for the last 2 years and this would be a new test for her independence. She has never been away. She has never gone to daycare, she is a Covid era baby. I had no concerns regarding her ability to understand, comprehend, follow directions. I really had no concern of her social skills: she has a million cousins, and she has been in organized sports. But I have been right there with her for everything. I want to make sure her confidence, as well as my son’s, was established to go it alone. Honestly, I wanted the reassurance for myself as well.

I can admit that I was feeling a little separation anxiety.  I have a few educators in my family, so I leaned on them to give me tips to make the start of school easier for all parties: student, teacher, and parent.

These are some of the ideas that were repeatedly mentioned that I tried out and found to be effective for me and my family to prepare for the school year.

1. Start the routine a week before: bedtime, learning time slot (even if 1 hour).
   Getting a “walk through” practice before game day, helps to iron out some of the wrinkles. Over the summer, sleep schedules can get thrown off. For the first time schoolers, getting up early may be a new routine. My daughter hits me with: 5 more minutes almost every morning. I established a bedtime or at least an in bed by time. I began to wake them up each morning at the time they would need to be up once school starts. Starting a bedtime routine/wake up routine the week before helped to get everyone in the swing of things before game day!
   
   Students can become more relaxed and less focused when it comes to learning, afterall they have been in vacation mode for the last 2 months and face it, time can be limited with everything we have on our plates as parents. Carving out a small amount of structured learning a day could make the difference and prepare them for what will be expected of them in the classroom. Having them sit, color, do worksheets, read to you, anything pertaining to learning in a school like situation will help prepare them and I am sure the teachers will appreciate that they are ready to learn.
2. Tell them about their teacher.
   Parents of pre-school and elementary school kids are often notified of who their child’s teacher will be at least a few days prior to the start of school and if anything like my children’s teachers, they shared a summarized biography of themself: favorite color, favorite food, pet, favorite things to do. I shared it all with my kids.
   
   I tried to let them feel like they were getting to know the person that will be with them for the majority of the day. Through this, they may find they have something in common with their teacher. The attempt was to help establish commonality, curiosity, and positive excitement.
3. Drive by the school.
   If your child has not seen where they will be going all day, or even if they have, drive by when no one is there. Get out and walk the perimeter. Show them the playground, bus area, where drop off will be. This can help to get them excited and reduce some anxiety about being in an unfamiliar place.
   
   We watched my son’s school being built. It is just as we are leaving our neighborhood so there has been no avoiding it. The excitement of it being a new school has been building for quite some time now. “Look Mom, it has two playgrounds!”
   
   We drove by my daughter’s school, through the drop off/pick up line so she could see where/when she would get out the car, where the front door to walk through once out the car. On game day, the first day of school: “Bye mommy! Love you!.” She got out. Put her backpack on her shoulders, marched to that front door and never looked back for me!
   
   I’ll be honest: I shed a thug tear. She didn’t need me. But I was happy for her: she didn’t need me!
4. Get excited about what they will wear.
   I say let the kids show their personality. Let them wear what they feel confident in. Have them pick out their first day outfit or at least let them be a part of how they want to express themselves through their clothing.
   
   Tell them how handsome, beautiful, smart, and ready to take on school they will look. “That looks like a shirt a leader would wear.” “You look like a brilliant scientist in those shoes.” “You look fly, you look good!” “Do you feel successful in that outfit?”
   
   My son will wear anything put out for him; he prefers that I pick out his clothes. My daughter, she is a fashionista. She picks out 90% of her outfits. Even if she doesn’t match, which rarely happens, I told you she was a fashionista, I allow it because she feels confident in what she has selected and that is the goal!
5. Remind and reassure them of how capable they are!
   Starting something new, the pressure of school, being around peers can be intimidating to children. Hell, that can be intimidating to adults. Reminding children that they are enough, what they have accomplished and what they are able to accomplish can be comforting and reassuring as they start a new school year.
   
   My son is very smart but becomes nervous when he starts anything. I recognize this trait because he got it from me. I remind him it is okay to be nervous, but we push through (this is bravery). Remind them of their previous accomplishments and successes even though they may have been nervous or unsure in the beginning. Remind them they have everything inside of them already to do well, just trust that. I reassured my daughter that she could do anything and did not need mommy to try and to be great.
   
   As parents we want to give our children the tools to succeed, and these ideas helped to set a tone for a successful school semester.
   

   BTW: “I can accept failure, I cannot accept not trying. “-Michael Jordan

   Let us know if you have tried any of these ideas.  Share any ideas or tips you may have for a successful start to school for elementary school students as well as secondary school students.
   
   

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