The exciting and scary first day of school is coming soon! Are you prepared? Are your kids prepared?
There are a range of thoughts running through a child's mind about the first day of school such as: Who will be in my class? Will my teacher be nice? Who will I eat lunch with? I don't want summer to end! I hate school! I am excited about seeing my friends again. I love school! Whether your child is excited about school or reluctant to start school again, it is an excellent idea to take some time to prepare yourself and your children for the change that is about to occur.
Start practicing the school schedule a few weeks ahead of the first day of school.
Waking up early can be one of the hardest parts of the school schedule. Getting your kids used to the schedule before can help decrease anxiety and stress about the first day of school. If your kids are waking up early for camps and/or daycare during the summer, then this will be an easier process. The first day of practice can be a "special morning". Take your kids to get donuts, get an early start to a fun museum day, or give them a chance to play video games, if that is their first choice. Having a "special morning" every week, or even every few days, can help with the hard transition of waking up early.
Arrange a late summer play date with other kids from school.
Social worries can be significant in a kid's life. If your child is worried about situations that occurred last school year or just wants to know who will be in his class, it will help to reconnect him with kids he hasn't seen all summer. Try to find out who will be in his class as soon as possible so you can discuss it with him. The more he knows about the upcoming school year the less anxiety he will feel.
Teach your child to visualize all that he desires for the first day of school and the entire school year.
Visualization is extremely powerful in helping everyone receive what they desire. Have your child write out a story about how he wants the first day of school to be. Tell him to read it and sit quietly and imagine it in his mind. Whenever negative thoughts enter as he is creating his reality, he can notice them and send them flying away like a bird out the window. Visualizing a scenario before it happens helps create a neural pathway in the brain and a comfort within us that we have already been through this event and everything will be okay.
Have a happy and successful school year!