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TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR BACK TO SCHOOL
It’s that time of year again: time to get ready for the back-to-school season! To help get you started, we’ve created a list of things to get your child (and you!) ready for smooth sailing on the first day of school

Start a morning schedule!
Wake your kids up at what will be their regular morning wake-up time. For older children, help them set an alarm clock so they can take responsibility for their own morning wake-up routine.

Eat a healthy breakfast!
By now, we all know kids need a nutritious breakfast, so they are ready to take on the day. Incorporate healthy breakfast options like apples, bananas, and whole grain toast. This will give them the energy they need to be mentally alert all day, instead of the mid-morning crash they’ll get from sugary cereals.

Set out clothes the night before!
Avoid frantic mornings by having your child choose what he or she will wear the night before. If you have a younger child, let him or her pick from a couple different options. Get into a routine of doing this even before school starts so your child is in the habit of planning ahead.

Pack a healthy lunch!
In the days or weeks before school starts, plan and make your lunches for the next day together each night. Even though school isn’t in session yet, you can help your kids get used to packing a lunch by having it labelled and ready to go each morning.

Follow a lunch schedule!
Start eating lunch at the same time as your child will be when he or she is at school. This will help get your child’s stomach on a schedule so he or she isn’t going to class hungry and distracted.

Make dedicated TV-free time!
Start getting into a homework routine now by having TV-free time during after-school hours. Use this time for a learning activity like reading a book or even talking about your day together.

Play board or word games!
Playing games over the summer is a great way to keep your child’s mind engaged and focused on building learning skills. This will help make sure your child is prepared when classes start and make the back-to-school transition a smoother one.

Stick to a bedtime routine!
Early bedtimes usually go out the window over the summer break, but young minds need plenty of sleep to be ready to learn. Get back into a set bedtime routine now so your child isn’t up late the night before the first day of school.

Read every day!
Learning shouldn’t stop over the summer. Each day, take at least 30 minutes to sit with your child and read together. This will help keep him or her engaged with learning and in the routine of daily schoolwork.

Stock up on school supplies
Take your child shopping for back-to-school supplies he or she will need to get the year off to a successful start. Shopping for backpacks, binders, and pencil cases will get your child thinking (and excited) about the upcoming school year.

Support your child to face their worries.
Periods of separation can make us anxious, and some children are worried about returning to school. As parents, our job is to help them tolerate anxiety and hold the bigger picture. Even young children may have overheard frightening news headlines or conversations, so model a calm, pragmatic attitude which will decrease their anxiety levels. If your child is reticent about going back, find out why. Make a worry list, in size order (it’s often a revelation as major worries for them may seem insignificant to you). Avoidance is never the answer when anxiety is in the mix. The thought of something is often more worrying than doing it, so support your child calmly, kindly and firmly back to school using a step-by-step plan. Reward achieving the first steps as these are most challenging

Friendship groups are likely to have shifted.
School is as much about relationships as schoolwork, so there may be trepidation when children think about their position in class or small friendship groups. Talk about shifts in friendships as a given, this will help them adapt and be open to change, which is conducive to relationship building. At the same time, you may need to set up some scaffolding to ease socially cautious children back into things, so organise some events with classmates.

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