How to Prepare and Excite Your Child for the New School Year

With summer quickly escaping our grasp, the new school year is fast approaching. Some children will even start back to school in the first week of August, while others will still be catching fireflies late at night until after Labor Day. It doesn't matter when your children will be starting the new school year, if your child is nervous about the new school year then the following tips will be helpful in preparing your child for that first day of school.

School Bedtimes - The first thing that I do, as a parent of school-aged children, is to start getting the children back into their school bedtime routine. That means starting the school bedtimes about a week, or two depending upon age, before school starts. If your child has been staying up until 10 pm every night of summer vacation then don't expect them to jump right back into going to bed at 8 pm the night before school starts. It's just not a feasible request of any child. So begin the earlier school bedtime ahead of time so that your child will get back into the groove of things before they have to.

School Wake-up Times - Just like with the school bedtimes above, you may want to get your child back into the school wake-up routine. I don't suggest doing this any earlier than the week before school starts though. After all, you wouldn't want to wake up any earlier than you have to during your child's summer vacation. Make sure that you have initiated the school bedtimes before, or at the same time, as the school wake-up times. You don't want to wake up child up at 6 a.m. if they are still staying up until 10 p.m. the night before. Children need lots of sleep in order to function properly in school.

School Shopping Is Fun - All parents know the trials and tribulations of completing the dreaded task of school shopping for your child's new school year. The stores are crowded with other parents trying to fulfill the same task and the store shelves are usually empty of just the items that your child needs. So why in the world would I say that school shopping is fun? That seems like a crazy statement, but it is true - to your children! When I was little, one of my favorite things about the new school year beginning was receiving all of my sparkly, new school supplies. I loved the look of the new crayons, the packages of brand new, unsharpened pencils and the crisp texture of the new notebooks. My girls are no different. Even though they have a steady supply of anything they would need, all year round, it's those very first products of the new school year that excite them. So let your child help you do their school shopping. They willlove picking out their new supplies.

Meet the Teacher - Many schools have an Open House type day set aside so that students, and parents, can come by before the school year starts and meet the teachers. Doing this will help your child recognize their new teacher, check out their new classroom and leviate any fears about the unknown that they nay have. My children always look forward to this first time meeting with their new teachers. I'm always surprised at just how few parents take the time to bring their children to these meetings. For my middle daughter's first year in school, there were only three parents (including myself) that brought their children to meet their kindergarten teacher. I was shocked because this has always been a big deal for my children. So take your child to meet their new teacher ahead of time.

Talk to Your Child About the New School Year - One of the best things that a parent can do to prepare and excite their children for the new school year is a simple thing - talk to them! Talk to your child about what exciting things are waiting for them. The new things that they will learn, the new friends that they will make, the yummy snacks that they will enjoy and even the bigger book that they will learn to read are a sample of topics that you could discuss with your child. Talk to them about what their expectations are for the new school year. Ask them about their worries, because children do get nervous about the unknown, and help them to feel better about the mysteries surrounding the new school year. You will be helping your child prepare themselves for the new year.

The older your child gets, the less likely that they will need your help in preparing for the new school year. Many older kids are ready to get back to school, and out of the house, but until then, these tips have worked for my young children and I hope that they will help you and your's. A new school year is exciting, but can be nerve-wrecking for your child. Help them become more comfortable and they will have a great first day of school.

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