Back to school for your kids means excitement for reuniting with friends, but for you it is mostly a time of stress and increased responsibilities.
Parents need to abruptly start focusing on their fall schedules and duties, leaving all the summer bliss behind. I know it’s hard to let go, but as a grown-up you need to get up and face your child’s illogical demands, as yet for another year. Take a deep breath and let’s begin.
Give them the necessary pep talk
This will save you the trouble and time for having to do this mid-term, when their confidence and self-esteem will be all crushed and burned by some ruthless bully in their class.
Make them feel powerful, give them a sense of self-worth and allow them to be fearless. If you think the job market is a ruthless environment to be, try an elementary school. These are real jungles out there!
Prepare your child for the highs and lows of school
Acknowledge the difficulties of being a student
One important thing is to acknowledge the first-day fears and sense of unfamiliarity they’ll have to sustain.
It can be heartbreaking so give them at least the acknowledgment of going through this difficult day. Perhaps sharing some good stories from your own school years will encourage them. Remember than being pro-active is much more effective than dealing with it after the concern has manifested itself.
Be realistic and make your kid too!
Another way to be stress-free and finally get to have some time of your own is to cut down on the number of extra-curricular activities your child will participate in this year. Does your daughter need both dancing and ballet? Is it really necessary for your precious boy to learn both Karate and Judo?
It’s time to be picky and firm, I say. This will teach your children to have priorities and realize early in life how one cannot have it all. Plus, you’ll get some peace of mind, since you won’t be having to drag yourself to every single sport taking place at your community.
Just take it as it comes
Admit and accept the fact that not everything will go as planned. Life is full of such unpredicted incidences. Embrace this type of unpredictability and instead of stressing about it, you can focus instead on how important this school year is for your child. You might not learn his physics experiments, but there’s always some lesson for you to learn along the way!
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