As a parent, have you ever thought about how you can mentally prepare your child for a new school year?
What does mental preparation have to do with anything? You say. Well, you are in for a long ride.
I recall as kids, many of us were happy to begin the new school year, primarily because we were tired of being at home all summer and we missed our school friends who lived in various states and longed to see them again.
However, the situation has changed in recent years since children now have access to a wide range of modern technology that keeps them busy. They frequently opt to continue watching YouTube cartoons or playing video games with no regard for anything else.
As a result, instilling a back-to-school mindset in them is difficult since they are disinterested.
This article has been written to help parents and guardians learn the different tips needed to prepare their children mentally for a new school year.
READ: How To Prepare Your Child For the New School Year
How to Mentally Prepare Your Child for a New School Year
1, Entice them with optimistic thoughts
Preparing your child mentally for the new school year begins with instilling in them positive thoughts.
You have to encourage them to be enthusiastic about the upcoming academic year and to appreciate the perks of the situation.
Practise daily affirmations with them so they’re excited to start school again.
2, Get them organised early
As a parent, you must do your part to prepare your child mentally for school. This implies you need to get organised with everything related to their school activities and needs. Do not begin arranging your children’s back to school necessities a week in advance; this is not acceptable.
Instead, prepare, implement your plans, and get everything they’ll need two weeks before or during the holiday. You may also use parent assistance services such as ParentaPal to help you arrange a good schedule for the school year.
3, Practice self-care
Beloved parent, this one’s for you. The fact is, if you’re not psychologically on board, you can’t prepare your child mentally.
Therefore, you need to let go of your stress and take care of yourself. Get a babysitter or whatever else you need to do for your child, then take a break from work and unwind.
Plus, you can practise wellness by doing things like;
- Meditation
- Reading
- Listening to music
- Visit the cinema/movie nights
- Exercise & Yoga
READ: Things You Need to Know When Choosing a School for Your Child
How Do I Prepare My Nervous Child for School?
1, Reduce their anxiety by carrying out a recce. This implies that you would go to the school a few times before the start of classes to allow your child to explore the hallways, locate their classroom, and, if it’s feasible, have a meeting with their teacher. They will have an opportunity to become accustomed to the routine through repetition especially if they are new to kindergarten or pre-kindergarten.
2, Continue to interact with your child after the initial resumption day. You must always enquire about their time at school after the first day, and establish a channel of communication with your child. It is even more important you do this if this is the child’s first day and first time in a formal school wall.
READ: The Do’s and Don’ts Of After School Tutoring
Conclusion
When you set your mind to it, it is simple to get your child or ward mentally set up for the start of school. This article has thrown light on certain issues that many parents disregard.
Furthermore, it emphasises the importance of parents’ being psychologically right to do the same for their children.
Finally, you must instill solid communication skills and understand how to keep your kids excited about starting school. As children return to school, we hope this piece has helped you greatly in getting them in the right state of mind.
