BACK TO SCHOOL 2011: Starting the Summer/School Transition Now

Monday, August 08, 2011

Hannah Brassord, GoLocalProv Contributor

It’s that time of year again, and while the days still feel blissful and summery, there's no getting around it. Fall is around the corner, and with it, school.

While kids will be excited to reunite with their schoolmates and start a new grade, the transition out of the summer sun and into the classroom can be a hard one. With earlier bedtimes, different meal schedules, sports practices, homework, and an overall altered state-of-mind, the school year routine hits kids hard coming off of a 12 week vacation. David Michel, Associate Director of College Counseling at The Wheeler School, offers 6 tips for a smooth changeover.

1. Anticipate the first day of school by practicing. A lot. Take a mini fieldtrip with your kids to their school so they can meet their teachers and check out their new classrooms. Practice walking the route to the school if they’ll be walking every day, or practice walking to the bus stop. The more they’re adjusted to these routines, the less of a shock it will be on the first day.

2. Start now on the earlier bedtime. If you start dialing back on the bedtime and make it gradual, a few minutes earlier each day, by the time school comes around, they won’t have a problem getting a full night’s sleep.

3. Shop now. Most kids spend summertime running around in a bathing suit and flipflops, which means those school pants may only reach their ankles this September. “Kids grow over the summer. A lot,” says David Michel. “Do

your back-to-school clothes shopping before the first day so you can be sure that you have clothes that fit.”

4. Schedule appointments for before the week before school begins. That means everything - dentist, doctor, haircut, etc. This will make the first week of school less chaotic and your child won’t have any other distractions to worry about.

5. Have themed breakfasts. The morning preparation for school can sometimes be a drag with tired kids who are moving at a snail's pace. But nothing gets them up and moving, teeth brushed, clothes on, bed-made, like “blueberry pancake day”. Make certain mornings of the week special breakfast days that happen every week. For example, Tuesday is blueberry pancakes, and Thursday is smoothie day. These are good traditions for families to look forward to, and will have kids running down the stairs dressed and ready for something better than a simple bowl of Cheerios.

6. Get school supplies. For some reason, going to Staples and buying brightly colored, brand-new folders, binders, pens, and crayons is always one of the most exciting back-to-school activities for kids. Make this a

family outing, and let kids pick out their own things. Just make sure that you’re getting the right things and have a checklist before you go. “Wait until you hear from each teacher or the school what kids should have,” advises Michel. “Many teachers want specific items and will penalize a student for having the wrong type of binder, for example.”