Back To School: How To Be Prepared and Make It Pleasant
It’s that time again.
Millions of kids will be trooping off to their first nervous day of school.
What can you do to prepare for it and make it a pleasant experience?
For some, it means RELIEF! Several months of summer break have stretched your parenting skills to the max.
For others, it is harrowing. Are they ready? Will they succeed? Will they like their teachers? How will I readjust to “school routine?”
Our kids were in school for a total of 72 years!
Here are some points to get yours ready:
1. Make it a positive experience.
• Get them tested. Be absolutely certain that your child is at the right level for success. “One size does not fit all.”
• Discover their deficiencies. If they have a silent deficiency “running in the background” it can destroy their self-confidence.
• Connect to their teacher. Be sure your child feels confident in their teacher’s concern for their growth.
2. Develop a daily routine.
• Breakfast is critical. Get them some calories and protein for their brain to work at high speed.
• Do homework early. Give them an hour after school to play then knock out homework before sleepiness sets in.
• Have a family meal. The evening meal should be together since the mornings are like ships passing in the harbor. Make it a “How did your day go?” time.
• Spend 15 minutes together at bedtime. Do a Bible story and prayer but also given them much of that time to open up about that day’s challenges.
““Through testing, be absolutely certain that your child is at the right level for success. “One size does not fit all.””
3. Monitor their peers.
• Monitor rejection. Ridicule and bullying are everywhere. Look and listen for clues that they are dealing with an individual they deeply fear.
• Monitor technology. Facebook, Instant Message, Snapchat, and Instagram are all places relationships bloom now. They can develop very deep relationships very quickly if unmonitored.
• Make your home “headquarters.” Invite all of their peers to be free to come and visit your home. You can sense their personality and also have a positive input into their lives.
• Meet their parents. Go out of your way to have a few minutes with the parents of your child’s best friends. It could be critical information for understanding their choices and tendencies.
4. Know your options.
• Public school: There are some great public school options. Realize that in some areas a large, liberal agenda may be overshadowing your teacher’s training and beliefs. Many Christian youth have, however, flourished in the right public school.
• Private Christian school: This is a second option that provides a classroom experience but with more traditional, Biblical curriculum.
• Home schooling: My wife, Melanie, brought all our children through all or much of their school years with this method. They were finished early in the day and had time to do extensive musical training and later on get an afternoon job. It also gave us the flexibility for them to travel with me many times during their school years.
Most of all, FOCUS ON THEM. Let them know that you are involved, connected, and excited about their school experience.
Have a great year!