Back to School!

28 Jul Back to School!

Summer vacation was fun, but it’s time to get the kids back to school! Here are some tips for a fun first day back to school and tips for a successful school year.

1st Day of School Traditions

• Hold a first day photo shoot. Keep the mood fun by suggesting silly faces or letting the family pet join in. Keeping the camera snapping after school and capture your child stepping off the school bus in the afternoon.
• Bury a time capsule. Fill a box or jar with items that represent your child’s current hobbies and interests. Have your child make a list of their favorite movies, books, and bands and describe first-day fears, friends he or she can’t wait to see!
• See how they measures up. Using a growth chart (or the inside of a closet door), mark your child’s current height. Keep track year-by-year to show growth spurts.
• Plan a bus stop breakfast! Invite all the neighborhood kids to get an early start the day before school begins. Fill a wagon with juice boxes, fruits and donuts. Bring it to the neighborhood bus stop at the usual pickup time as a “dress rehearsal” for the first day of school.
• Tuck a love note into your child’s lunchbox to show you’re thinking of them. The first day can be nerve racking for everyone, so you may want to go for comfort food when dinner time comes and enjoy a cool dessert as summer vacation comes to an end.

Back to School Study Tips

• A well-stocked desk in a quiet place at home is key, but sometimes you need variety. A trip to the library, park, or even just moving to the kitchen table will give kids a change of scenery which can prompt their brain to retain information better.
• Remind your kids to look over their notes each night to make sure they have got all the information they need, then have them highlight the information that they know is the most important.
• Don’t let a bad grade keep your kid down. A rough start doesn’t have to ruin the entire school year. Remind your kids to take proactive steps by checking their grades regularly and asking for a tutor if they need one.
• Encourage your kids to make a friend in every class. Having a few friends in each class if always helpful if they have a homework question or had to miss class, then when it comes time to study for exams, they will already have a study group.
• Keeping a calendar helps everyone plan ahead, but you’ve got more going on than just school so make sure you’re marking your extracurricular, work, and social commitments!

…and remember, before you know it, summer vacation will be starting again!