Preparing your child to go back to school can be very stressful. Between money concerns, anxiety and dread, everyone tends to be more on edge and overwhelmed when it comes to starting a new school year. Here you will find seven tips for tackling this school year with finesse and ease.

  • Have your child to get back on a normal sleep schedule a few days in advance. Lack of proper sleep will only add to your child being cranky and unmotivated. If you get them used to going to bed at a decent time prior to the first day of school, they will have had time to adjust and be in a better mood for the first day of school.
  • Going to a new school can be very anxiety producing for children. If your child will be going to a new school this year, it’s best to empathize with their concerns. However, this doesn’t mean that you should play into their fear. Instead, tell your child that you understand their concerns and that everything will be okay. Assure them that you will be there for them if any of their concerns become a reality. If you act as though their concerns are unwarranted, they will either begin to resent you or lose confidence in themselves.
  • Encourage your child to read during the summer. Getting back into the swing of learning can be difficult. Reading during the summer months will make this transition much easier on your child because they will be used to reading when it’s time to write a book report or read textbooks. Use connect.ae to find a list of bookstores around you.
  •  If money is a concern, space out buying the supplies and clothes your child will need. Oftentimes, children don’t get the list of supplies they will need until the first day of school. If this is the case, you can buy the essentials that you know they will need throughout the summer and get everything else the first week of school. It’s also not necessary to purchase all new school clothes by the first day of school.  Use connect.ae to find a list of stationary stores around you.
  • Let your child be involved in back to school shopping. If they pick out the things they need and choose colors and designs they like, they will be more excited to go to school and use their supplies. This is also true for clothes. Let you child choose their outfit (within reason) for the first day of school. Set that outfit aside and don’t let them wear it until school starts. This will give them something to look forward to on the first day. Use connect.ae to find a list of school bags around you.
  • Remind your child of rules that you have in place for homework and use of technology (phones, TV, etc…) ahead of time. If they know what to expect, they will have an easier time adjusting to more structured guidelines. Also, let your child voice their opinions on these rules and compromise when possible. If they feel they have a little bit of control, they will be more likely to follow the rules that are set.
  • Allow your child to spend time with classmates throughout the summer. Having friends is a huge part of school. If your child has friends they are comfortable with in their class, they will look forward to going to school and seeing their friends.

The more control you have over back to school activities, the easier it will be for everyone. Children thrive when there is structure and fair guidelines in place. Do yourself a favor and follow these seven simple tips and this school year will flow smoother than ever and your stress level will be much lower than you ever thought possible.

Over to you. 

Do you have any other back to school tips to share?  Let us know in the comments below.