Getting Your Child Back-to-Learning Again!

Back-to-school season paves the way for new venture-new schools, new grade levels, and new teachers and friends, but getting your child back-to-learning again happens all the time and it consume us all-parents are constantly concerned whether their children are mastering their learning while children worries are not necessarily focused on school and learning as it is on other stuffs-like friends, fit-in, being cool and staying cool, etc.

Whether you are a teacher, a parent or a student getting ourselves into the learning routine should be an all-time thing!

However, back-to-school season is a time of reflection that encompasses excitements-looking forward to be with and see new friends, teachers and or entering a higher-grade level, anxiety-due to the uncertainties about what you going to experience and conquer, and anticipation-the feelings of possibilities that lies ahead to be bestowed.

For me, as I leap into a new-school-year I hope to continue to be resourceful not only to my children but also to my students I am entrusted to teach, inspire and guide as they navigate their world of learning.

So, as we all prepare for back-to-school again let me share my Ten Golden Rules of getting-back-to-learning again to help ease the butterflies and calm the jitters:

1.   Get organized- the new beginnings, the changes, and the challenges of the back-to-school requires organization. Being organized minimize chaos, last minutes rush, and stress. Getting organized play, a great part of being healthy. It leads to healthy and happier family, “a happy child is a happy family”.

2  . Get involved-as the new school year approaches emotions build up, so what can parents do to make the transition smooth for themselves and their children especially if a child is attending school/college for the first time or going to a new school? In a simple term. Get involved from the start to the finish. Get all the paperwork done, review the checklist to make sure all you need is known and plan how to accomplish it. Let your child get involved in the planning (this season my teenage boys are chipping in to help themselves-it the best way to get involved and learning how to be part of the planning).

3.   Stay Connected-being on the same page keep things into perspective between you and your child, but also between you and the school and other families with children in the same school. Establishing mutual understanding and share common goals help to build friendships, trusts, and help you become familiar with the school system.

4.   School manners and habits-be the best and in your best behavior! Managing schedules start from home and all the way to school. As summer starts winding away, gradually begin charging the schedule early-2 to 3 weeks before school resume through reminders about going to bed early and getting up early.

5.   Balanced expectations-anticipate unknown or unforeseen by being thoughtful and mindful of the anxiety the first-three weeks of starting school as a transition and an adjustment period! There are so much to catch up within those 2 to 3 weeks that it overwhelms both the students, teachers and parents.

6 .  Make “His” / “Her” Plate- pack nutritional and healthy balanced lunches and snacks. Preparing healthy meals and eating enjoyable foods has been a priority in my family and I encourage my boys to eat healthy to stay healthy. So, your child’s lunch should include fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy which are the basic five food groups and required components of the National School Lunch Program.

7.   Empower, Inspire, and motivate- confidence rule the world! When kids feel confident and ready to learn they become good. When they are good they become good socially, builds emotional competency, they set goals. Make responsible decisions, communicate effectively, resolve conflict independently and more. Take about the future, about planning for high school and college, and about aiming to a high level of education and career.

8.   Make Home Comfortable and Learning Place-make it and keep it healthy- a healthy home supports healthy living and healthy learning. Eat well, sleep well, routine excise, manage and balance homework/school activities at home and home chores-students should learn to manage their rooms and set up a learning time and space in the house for study School and homework comes first before play. Your home should encourage learning.

9.   Keep it in Moderation-Overstimulation, multiple-extra-curricular activities overwhelm both children and parents. Let a child be a child first. Overdoing things or trying to live your dreams through your children often produces negative outcomes. In fact, pushing your child to do too much or get involved in too many activities can turn him or her off and cause emotional problems. On the learning part, show confidence in him or her. Let your child know you trust him or her ability to learn and succeed.

10. Brainstorm often-have a one-on-one session on how things are going and validate their feelings-their worries or fears they may encounter. Teach them failure is part of life and the possibilities of try, try and try again to get it right. Let them learn that quitters never win and winners never quit.

In conclusion, getting through the process of preparing your child for school, or prepare yourself as a first-time teacher or a returning to school teacher allows both to become ready for school. There are so many resources and ways both parents and children can utilize to stay healthy, make good choices during the coming school year. Check out the suggested books to read to beat Back-to-School blues:

Back to School with Pete the cat by James Dean

                        Kindergarten Rocks by Katie Davis

                        First Grade Jitter by Robert Quackenbush

                        Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

                        by Lenore Look

                        Back to school, Mallory by Laurie B. Friedman

                        Smile by Raina Telgemeier

                        Mr. President Goes to School by Rick Walton

                        This School Year Will Be the Best! Kay Winters by Dutton,

and The Star Wars: Jedi Academy trilogy, by Jeffrey Brown.

Enjoy the reading and the learning/lessons you draw from the books!