Tips to Get Your Children Ready

If you are like most parents (and children), you may feel like the summer flew by. Many children are starting school in just another week or two, which seems to be too early. You may not be ready to send your children off to school. They may not be ready to go. 

However, whether anyone is ready, school is just around the corner, so you need to make sure that your children are ready to go back to school. Here are some things that you can do to help.

Continue working with your children all summer long. The summer slope is a real thing, so it is important that you make reading and math a priority during the summer. By working on these skills all summer long, they are less likely to fall behind on their skills during this time.

It often helps to have a special place in your home where they can read and focus on keeping up with their schooling. During the school year, they can use this area for their homework.

If there is an open house, make sure that you take your children to see their classroom before school starts. Many schools offer an open house for children to find out where their classrooms are. They may be able to meet their teachers, along with some of the children that they will be in school with. 

If you read with your children at night, you can add in some books about starting school. Though this is usually helpful for those who are just starting out in Kindergarten, the truth is that there are plenty of books that you can read to your elementary-age children about school. Your children may feel better knowing that other children in the book feel the same way that they do.

Don't be afraid to talk about their feelings. Many children deal with first-day jitters and need someone to talk to. Others are so excited that they can't handle their emotions. No matter what your children are feeling, make sure that they know they can talk to you about all the emotions they are dealing with. 

Get excited for back-to-school shopping. Back-to-school shopping isn't just about being prepared. It is a way to get your children excited about the classroom. Buying a new bookbag and school supplies can be a fun way to get ready for school. Your children may even enjoy picking out a new outfit for their first day of school!

Though summer is a great time to relax and have some fun, it is important that you continue with reading and math over the summer. Too many children fall backward in the two or three months that they have off over the summer. You may even want to have a special place in your home so that they can work on things uninterrupted. They can use this throughout the school year also! 

Then, make sure that you take your children to their school if there is an open house. This can be a great way to ease any worries that your children may have. You may also want to read some books about going back to school. Then, use these as a way to talk about their feelings. Talking it over may help them deal with all of their emotions. 

Back-to-school shopping is another great way to get your children ready for school. They might love to pick out their new bookbags and other supplies, as well as a few new outfits to wear. This can really help them get excited to start a new year at school.

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Previously published on Medium and/or Newsbreak.