A Few Tips For Going Back To School

The first day (sometimes days) of school is going to be hard for everyone no matter what. That said a little preparation doesn't hurt, in fact is highly necessary. Here are a few tips to help parents and kids overcome first day anxiety.

-Read books about the topic. There are plenty of nice books. You can visit your local B&N or library and take out some books.
Here are a few of our favorite books. There are many others. 

-Visit the school and meet the teacher in advance if possible. This way it won't be a complete shock.The unknown is a scary thing. At least your child will have some image of the school/teacher.   Have a quality discussions about her day at the school. Go over their day. This will give them some ideas what will happen to them. Children like predictability.
-Share your own first day of school/work memories and let them know how you felt. Children particularly like when they hear their parents' stories. They take it seriously. Because in their eyes we are their heroes and they want to be like us.
-If they already attended preschool/daycare last year help them refresh positive memories, maybe look at some pictures or artwork.
-At drop off don't stay long and extend the good bye process. Also, make sure not to sneak out. That will make you child extremely upset.
-Make sure after saying good bye to reassure that you will be back to pick them up. That you will miss them but you know that they are going to have some fun at school and that you can't wait to hear all about it. Now, be realistic and know that kids don't have a good sense of time. They live in the now. But after a few days of school they will form a pretty good picture of the situation and will quickly learn the school routine. That will make things easy.
-Reset your daily routines, sleep and wake up times. Plan ahead so you won't fall into a state of panic in the morning. That sure will add to your child's anxiety. Make it as smooth as possible.
-Control your own anxiety and don't overreact, if you do, don't show it in front of kids.
-Put them in the positive mood by taking them to back-to-school shopping. Of course I don't encourage going crazy but purchase a few key clothing pieces together and make it into a fun tradition.

I hope your first day of school will be a pleasant experience. Do make sure to snap a few pictures. It's hard for everyone sometimes for the parents even more. Don't be embarrassed to express your emotions once you are alone and finding a good company of a dear friend is always a plus.
Happy First Day of School!