Assisting Our Children to Transition Into a New Grade This School Year

Hello Parents!!

Can you believe that the summer is over and the kids are starting or have started school? Its amazing how fast those three months go by. If you are a parent to an elementary school child like I am, some of our children might have been ready for school to start almost as soon as it ended.

Whether your child is starting a new grade or a new school here are some tips to help them get acclimated:

1. Talk with your child about some of the challenges they may face this school year, whether it is information you received from the summer reading list or a child that you may know that just finished their grade.

2. Address any of your child’s concerns (or fears) about this school year as soon as they arise and help them come up with solutions. As parents we have to teach our children to be problem solvers.

3. Talk about what excites them for this school year. Perhaps they can’t wait to meet new people or their teacher.

4. Talk about the schedule that they will be on for the school year. Like their chore, bed time or extracurricular activity schedule. We can help our children be more organized if they know what is coming and what they need to do to juggle responsibility.

5. Make sure you are listening to all gripes, challenges and perks when they come in from school. We can stay informed parents and can help our children navigate their challenges if we know what they are.

6. Plan play dates for smaller (and older) children with other children in their grade and class, so they are connecting with other children outside of school. Friendships are a critical part of childhood and most children have someone that they enjoy playing with or want to get to know better Even if you are not the social type yourself, try to allow your children to make friends.

7. Ensure you attend the Back To School Nite so you can meet your child’s teacher, especially if you don’t know them already.

8. Try to connect with your child’s teacher by email at least once or twice a month during the school year even if your child is an Honor student. I work with so many school’s where the parents are completely absent from their child’s education, especially in the middle and high school years.

9. Attend PTA Meetings this year. It is always better when we are in the know and it is even better when we go with a list of our concerns.

10. Sign up for at least one activity this school year. I guarantee your child’s principal and teacher will appreciate it. And your child may actually be excited too.

As parents, we juggle so much of our own schedule it is hard to keep track of everyone else’s, especially if you are the parent of multiple children. However, our houses can run much smoother if we stay connected to our children’s challenges and triumphs.

Have a great school year. Ta ta for now..

To Great Parenting

Connect with me with any questions coachkumari@gmail.com