Tips to Make Going Back to School Easier
Starting or returning to school after holidays can be a challenging time for both children and parents/ caregivers. New classrooms, new routines and new faces can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Starting or returning to school after holidays can be a challenging time for both children and parents/ caregivers. New classrooms, new routines and new faces can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Our Regional Parenting Service Practitioner, Lisa Castles has put together some tips to help you prepare and get through this transition period smoothly.
For parents/caregivers of younger students
- Practice getting dressed for school – make it fun.
- Involve children in lunchbox preparation, give choices but keep them limited “would you like an apple or a mandarin for fruit break today?”
- Teachers are your greatest ally. When parents and teachers support each other, children do better.
- Be realistic about how school may feel for children, “you might be feeling excited and a little bit nervous too. That’s very normal.”
- After school, young children are often exhausted. Let them eat, rest and reset before you talk to them about their day. When the time comes, be curious, share something about your day, and then ask open ended specific questions; “What was your favourite part of the day?” “Who did you have fun with today?” “What did you do today that was a bit hard?”
- Listen, listen, listen. Children feel connected when we give them time and truly listen. Create an after-school ritual for this.
For parents/caregivers of older students
- Discuss what the school morning and afternoon routines might look like.
- Invite them to provide lunch and snack ideas, or invite them to join you to do the supermarket shop so they can self-select things they will eat.
- Encourage open conversations about friends, subjects, teachers, activities. Teenagers need us to be interested in their lives just as much as when they were in primary school.
- Listen, listen, listen – without judgement, without buying in to the drama and without solutions.
- When they share stories with us, try and ask, “did you just want to tell me, or are you looking for advice?” before providing unwanted advice. Trust teenagers to solve their own problems.
If you would like to delve deeper into this topic and learn strategies to support your children, our Regional Parenting Service offers workshops for parents/ caregivers of children and teenagers:
Regional Parenting Service
Assisting parents/caregivers to feel more confident about their parenting. Our team can also support you to enhance your relationship with your children, and to explore strategies which build connection, empathy and understanding.
