Back to School: For Littles and Older Ones Too
Because my kids are starting school tomorrow, this post’s intention is to be a short but sweet send off for you and your kids. Returning to school can be overwhelming for any child or teen for a wide variety of reasons. Since the school body is composed of many different personalities, pedagogical philosophies, abilities, ages and families it’s no wonder that the beginning of school marks a stressful time.
Little kids may wonder about the personalities of their teachers, hoping they will be similar to—or different from—their own parents or last year’s teacher. On top of being curious about what the year will bring, preschoolers and elementary students actually need to practice what it feels like to detach from home and reattach to their school community during long school hours. It’s no surprise that children are exhausted at the end of the day! Doing that takes a lot of practice, which often coincides with buckets of tears.
Big kids may start to dream about going away to college, getting their licenses, and choosing courses based on friends, teacher reputations, and college credits. Homecoming and Halloween are just around the corner, bringing with them sweet smells of caramel apples sprinkled with excitement.
As a Certified School Social Worker (who no longer teaches social skills and puberty classes, thank God), the school-community partnership and relationship have been an interest of mine for some time. Parents’ perceptions of school climate are more important than we may realize when it comes to the academic development of our children.
So, let’s partner with our schools in the best way possible, because our kids are looking for us to be involved.
The Back-to-School List below is inspired by the work I used to do with my own kids in order to emotionally prepare them for the first day of school. I hope it’s helpful for you and your children as well.
1) Draw your school or classroom.
Grab some old magazines with pictures and words, and start cutting and pasting anything you fantasize about having in your own school or classroom. Get super creative with this one!
Pictures of pools and mindfulness classes were carefully placed onto my classroom art project. Yup, I did this craft with my kids because it’s fun for parents to dream, too. And adults still take classes all the time—just maybe not in a school building.
2) Ask your kids to write out a seating chart and see why they picked where they are seated.
If your kids are in middle school, they’ve probably already texted half the district to find out who is in their section.
Take a look at their class picture and ask: Who is seated closest to them? Who is farthest away? Are they sitting close to the teacher or on the other side of the room? Why?
3) Return to the schools from which they graduated!
We mosey on back to our preschool, elementary, and middle school grounds every evening before the first day of school. We’ve galivanted through walker paths, played on playgrounds, and even peered through windows, wondering if the classrooms still look the same.
Your kids need to be reminded that they have already mastered some stages of their lives. This reflection can help them step into their unknown future with greater confidence. Even adults benefit from remembering steppingstones along the way.
4) Once they start school, ask more specific questions about their day than simply, “How did it go?” Below are some of my favorite questions from a list I received when my oldest child was in kindergarten:
a) Did you help anyone today?
b) What was the peak and what was the pit?
c) How were you brave today?
d) Who did you share with today? Who shared with you?
e) What are you reading?
f) What was the hardest rule to follow?
Best wishes to all families starting another school year!
Teachers and administrators, most of you are angels from Above. We appreciate your endless dedication to making our schools feel welcoming to all students throughout the entire year. We are grateful that you recognize the children who may have never wanted summer break to begin with because school may be the only place where they feel loved, seen, and valued.
Thank you for reaching for the students who struggle in school and need extra support and guidance. You teach kids how to advocate for themselves, a skill that will serve them well throughout adulthood.
“I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be. Everybody’s searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to.” Whitney Houston
LoveWell,
Kim