Back to School

by Faten Abdallah

Many families are preparing to send their children back to school, some for the very first time. Preparing for school can be a time of joy, yet a stressful experience for parents, especially their children attending school for the first time, like preschoolers or kindergartners.

To ensure children will enjoy attending school, stress should be kept to a minimum. It is important for parents to handle the school experience in a positive manner because children learn social behavior from their parents, guardians, or caregivers. As a parent, sending your child to school can be a worrisome, yet necessary venture. Do not show your worries to your child because your child may associate attending school with worries, which will turn into negative experiences.

There are ways to prepare yourself and your child for school:

• As a parent, don't be afraid to ask veteran parents about how they felt when their children attended school for the first time and how they handled anxiety.
• Discuss your school experiences with your child. Your child will be fascinated that you attended elementary school. Explain to your child that he or she will have a chance to experience going to school.
• If this is your child's first time attending school, ask for a tour of the school. Be sure you and your child meet his or her assigned school teacher, as well. You and your child should prepare questions for school staff to answer. Be sure your child's questions are answered, so that your child may leave the tour with confidence.
• Make school shopping a fun activity with your child. Explain to your child there is a school list that each student must bring to school. Have your child make some of the purchasing decisions within your budget, of course.
• Be sure your child has a reasonable bed time hour at least two weeks before school officially starts. Otherwise, you may have a hard time waking your sleepy and grumpy child up during school days.
• As a parent, become involved with parent-teacher organizations or associations at your child's school. Be sure to participate in school activities, too.

Although these tips are not limited, it is important to be ready to handle other sorts of issues such as completing homework on time, avoiding tardiness, and handling peer pressure. Always ask your child about his or her school day on a daily basis. It is important to know what he or she is experiencing. If you see any behavior changes from your child, meet with your child's teacher and other essential school staff to discuss what your child is experiencing. Realize that there will be some ups and downs during school days, and that is a normal experience. Be sure to keep communication lines open with your child and school staff.

Don't forget to take pictures the morning of the first day of school to be put into the photo album or scrapbook. Record your child's reactions and thoughts about the first day of school. Also, record your reactions and thoughts about your child's first day of school.