LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The time to get your kids ready to go back to school is now. We're a little over a week away which makes this weekend vital to help your kids prepare emotionally and physically.
The Sullivan house is a busy one. With 4 boys ages 13, 10, 8 and 4, summertime is fun time around here. Mom Leslie admits she'll miss the boys--but having them back in school has it's advantages. "The first day of complete silence, I don't even turn the tv on. Ahhh. I just enjoy the peace and quiet."
But before that peace can come, Leslie is focused on peace of mind for her boys. That's smart, says marriage and family counselor Laura Weiss. "Even if it's like hey they did this last year. It's not like that for them. It's the equivalent of us walking in to a new job."
Weiss and her colleagues at Rooted Life counseling center say parents need to understand your children may feel a range of emotions about going back to school from excitement, to nerves, even irritation.
Here's how you can help.
- Do your back-to-school shopping right away. Weiss says, "If it's important to us, it will become important to them. So don't procrastinate."
- Talk to your kids about back-to-school expectations. "Remind your student they will be sitting longer, and required to concentrate longer."
- Take advantage of back-to school nights so they can find their classroom and meet their new teacher. Weiss says we need to understand that, "even changing a classroom for a kids is a really big deal. Just because they were there in 3rd grade, they will have angst about what their 4th grade classroom will be like."
Mom Leslie is trying to help smooth the transition, waking the boys up and putting them to bed earlier starting now. And she makes sure to include them in buying some of their favorite things. "We start practicing making lunch. I have the older boys make their own lunches. We go shopping and pull out the stuff they like."
All of that preparation will help the kids feel secure about going back to school. And it will keep parents from stressing out at the last minute.
One more tip from our expert: be on time the first day of school. If you're rushing the kids around it's very upsetting for them. Their first day of school should be synonymous with love and support.
