We all want our kids to have their best year yet. Maybe your child is entering kindergarten and you want to make sure they’re ready…or you’ve spent a couple of years schooling online and life is changing. Or you just want to do all you can to get ready for that first day of school. In this blog, I am going to help you prep your kids. Over the last almost 2 decades of teaching, I have come to identify a few things that parents can do to set their kids up for success as they prepare for the new school year. (Hint: it’s not the cool lunchboxes or wardrobe.)
Setting your child up for success will also help them enjoy their learning journey
So what should you do before the first day of school?
Great question, I’m glad you asked!
I know it can be overwhelming to think about a new school year. Many of us are still trying to unwind and relax from last school year! Summer can be busy and chaotic, so how do we even think about adding “school year prep” to our schedules??
Summer can be a busy and seemingly chaotic time
Well, don’t stress.
I’m going to share with you the three main things you should do before the first day of school. These three things are important, but you can dive into them as much or as little as you need to. Some kids might need to spend time on #1, but another family decided to focus on #3. Don’t worry! Just being here proves that you are a caring parent, intent on doing what you need to get your kids ready for their 2022 school year. You’ve got this.
Here are 3 things you need to do before school starts:
1. Create a routine
Alarm clocks.
Remember those?
You might need them for work or the random early morning golf game, but your kids probably haven’t looked at theirs in months. It’s time to get them out again. *collective sigh* – *a very long and laborious sigh from me too* (If you need to buy one for your child, this post gives you some great recommendations.) We’ve got to reset our circadian rhythm, and this can take weeks. If you want to get a headstart on this (and help prevent disastrous morning meltdowns or epic evening battles), start small. Every three days, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than their previous wake-up time. This goes for bedtime too. Start getting your kids to off to bed and tucked in about 10 or 15 minutes earlier every few nights.
Figure out how much sleep your child needs.
“While everyone is a little different, the rule of the thumb is that those between 5-9 years old need 10-11 hours of sleep per night, and those between 10-18 years old need 8½-9½ hours of sleep per night.” (info from this WebMD article) Depending on your summer, your schedule might need a major overhaul to get ready for the school year routine!
Side-note:I will be addressing the importance of sleep for healthy brain development in a future post.)
In addition to bringing the alarm clock back from the dead, create your morning and evening routines.
What will your school mornings or nights look like? Try to mimic that. Now might be a good time to print out a morning/evening routine chart.
A morning routine example
I love using charts to help kids be more independent. What is important for your child to accomplish before school each day? What needs to be done before bedtime? Personalize the chart or list; every child is different.
Side note: I always recommend giving your child choices where possible. Does he want to get dressed or eat breakfast first? Where will they set their backpack the night before? Will she brush her hair or teeth before getting dressed? I believe this can empower children and help them gain confidence, especially if this type of routine is started at a young age!
Adjust your routines gradually. Don’t overwhelm yourself or your kids by trying to execute this all at once. Maybe tomorrow you will get out the alarm clock and set it. The next day make your chart. Then the next day, eat breakfast and get dressed after waking (instead of PJs or bathing suits all day like usual!). Take it slow, but be intentional. If you’re a planner, write your routine goals on your calendar. Or make sticky note reminders for your kids (and yourself) throughout the next week as you adjust.
The goal is to help those first few days, or weeks, of your school routine, go smoothly. Anything that helps that goal is great. Anything that doesn’t help your family: ditch it.
2. Role Playing
This isn’t playing doctor or beauty salon! I’m talking about practicing real-life scenarios that your child may encounter. This is practical training. Some may feel silly or obvious. However, in my opinion, the more you practice with your child, the more prepared, confident, and resilient they will be as they handle the stressful experiences that life will inevitably through at them!
Things to keep in mind:
-Don’t try role playing during stressful or busy times. Make sure it’s a relaxed environment and the mood is right.
-Be silly. The goofier you are, the more your kid will engage.
-Start simple. Don’t dive into the heavy topics until your role-playing has gotten more established.
Role-playing different scenarios will help your child’s confidence.
Here are some easy role-playing scenarios to start with:
-waiting in line
-taking turns
-putting your hand up before you speak
-opening the door for someone
-picking up toys after playtime
-helping a friend
-sitting quietly at a desk or table during
a story
-sharing a toy with someone
Once these scenarios feel natural, consider moving on to more difficult ones:
-following 2 or 3-step instructions
-table manners
-meeting someone new
-riding a school bus
-bathroom procedure/etiquette at school
Next are the tough ones…and the ones that concern safety.
These types of role-playing scenrios are the most important skills to practice with your child.
-dealing with a bully
-what to do when approached by a stranger
-what to do if they’re lost
-appropriate touches vs inappropriate touches
-experiencing loss
I would never recommend you scare your child, but consider age-appropriate ways to alert them to possible dangers. I believe that kids should be given direct actions they can take, even if the possibility of certain dangers is unlikely. It is important that you calmly and empathetically discuss different and potentially scary scenarios with your child, however, instead of inciting fear; give them the tools and strategies they need so they are prepared and confident! Going beyond a discussion, this should include role-playing.
Role-playing is a fantastic way to prepare children for school and beyond. It is important to remember the age group that your child fits in to. Situations that may seem trivial to you may not be to your little ones. Giving your child strategies to use while you are acting out scenarios is a great connection point and gives an opportunity to bond. Your kids trust you to guide them through life; this is a practical way to give your child the skills necessary to deal with a wide range of possible scenarios they may encounter during this school year.
For more insight into role-playing more difficult scenarios with your child, check out this article.
3. The 3 Rs
Let’s talk about the more logistical part of getting ready for school. Yes, this involves a little bit of homework. I know… that is the last thing you want to hear during summer break. But hang with me, it’s not too bad.
I am not suggesting you start school early, not even close. All I want you to do is practice the 3 Rs for a few minutes each day. Or every other day. Whatever you can be consistent with as you approach the first day of school. For a more in-depth look at fun ways to prevent a summer regression, check out this post.
What are the 3 Rs? Reading, writing, and arithmetic.
These fathers are reading with their son. This is such a good habit to get into.
Any teacher will tell you that reading is absolutely the most important thing you can do with your child. Read with them every day, and you’ll see great strides! But if you want to take it a step further and really build their confidence…practice all of
the 3 Rs. Even 10 minutes a day is shown to be beneficial and will help with retention. Some families like to incorporate this into their schedule or new routine (after a meal or at a specific time each day). Read a book, write a few sentences or practice handwriting, and practice number sense routines (e.g., counting forward, backward, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and so on. Mix it up and start counting at a random number. Also, math games are a very interactive and engaging option.(Check out this youtube channel for some ideas)
Some kids love workbooks, if that’s their jam, go for it!
Here’s a fun handwriting one you’ll love: printing practice. (P.S., I created this book, surprise)
It’s overflowing with learning activities for kids that allow them opportunities to get a head start in
school in the summer months, or to consolidate skills learned during school time, or anytime! Inside you will find a full range of number and letter printing activities for kindergarten students.
If your child needs a more hands-on approach, use toys or coins to practice math skills. Practice writing skills by sending a letter or writing a song. You can do this all at once or break it up throughout the day. A lot of times kids won’t even realize they’re “doing schoolwork” if you can make it fun.
Aim for most of these activities to be a review for your child. The point of this is to get your child back into the “learning habit”, and stimulate their brains. Oftentimes we need to “learn how to learn”, and doing a little review is exactly that. I don’t want you to teach new skills or even make this challenging…just get them reading, get them writing, and get them remembering their numbers!
So now you know the 3 things you need to do before the first day of school. You’ve got this!
If you’re still unsure if you or your child is ready for that new school or big change…read on for some more advice for the 2022 school year.
We have all been through a lot over the past couple of years. Many of our children don’t know a time before masks and covid. This is a great discussion to have with your child. Talk about how they feel about getting sick, or wearing a mask, or even ask if they understand why people stayed home from school for so long.
I encourage you to ask your child about their concerns about school. Are they afraid of anything? What is stressful to them about their first day? Be their safe place and let them share freely. This is your chance to listen instead of instructing. (Tricky, I know!)
Parents need to get ready for school too.
This blog is all about getting your child ready for school, but are you ready? For many parents, sending their children to school is a scary milestone. It’s exciting, for sure…but can be really emotional and nerve-wracking for parents. Don’t neglect those feelings.
As you prepare for that first day, prepare yourself too. Plan something special for yourself after you drop your kiddos off. Lunch with friends? A fancy coffee on your way to work? Treat yourself; you’ve done a great job!
So are you ready?
What things are you going to incorporate over the next few weeks?
Remember, take it slow and don’t do it all at once. Start with small changes to your routine, have fun role-playing (being silly is a must!) and practice the 3 Rs. That’s it.
If you can work on these things, I have no doubt you and your kids will be ready for the first day of school. Even if their pencil box and lunch box don’t match 🙂
