The New School Year: Making It Special for Your Child

The first thing that comes to mind when we hear “back to school” is school supplies. Images of commercials about buying the perfect pencil or backpack invade our thoughts. As parents, it’s a time of mixed emotions: we’ll miss the freedom of sunny days at the pool, relaxed bedtimes and ice cream treats; at the same time it’ll be nice to be back to a routine and schedule.

For the kids, it’s also a mixed blessing. They too will miss the easiness of summer. They’ll look forward to time with new and old friends, as well as new adventures in the coming school year. As you prepare for all the logistics and schedule changes—remember to pack their “emotional backpack” too.

Here are three simple suggestions of things you can do to help ease your kids back into the rhythm of school life:

• Talk: Take a moment towards the end of summer to sit down with your children individually and talk about the coming year. What are their thoughts? What’s one thing they’re nervous about and one thing they are looking forward to? Share yours, too. Kids love to hear what’s going on in your mind and crave alone time with Mom or Dad.
• Share Memories: Talk about positive or funny memories from years past. Maybe for the kids it’s reconnecting with a friend who they lost touch with over the summer, or about one of their favorite books or projects from the prior year. For you, think back and recall a great story or find an old photograph and talk about your experiences. When I was little my mom always bought me a new outfit for the first day of school. I have a picture of the first day from fifth grade. I’m on my back deck drinking a Pepsi after school and I have some pink searsucker-type pants and bright shiny white new sneakers—my kids definitely get a kick out of this.
• Create traditions: Think about how you might want this year to be special. Take the time to count how many first days your child has had. How many left? This may give you some perspective and gratitude for the event and passing of time. Maybe you can come up with a tradition, like pizza parties on the first Friday of the month where each child gets to invite a friend over. Maybe it’s something with getting ready in the morning to a certain song or having a dance party when they get home. Maybe it’s around birthdays or other milestones. Get creative.