Tips and Tricks for Back to School

The halls of ISPS have been unusually quiet for far too long! We’re getting ready to welcome our students back and are excited to have learning and laughter resonate through the building again. Summer break is coming to its inevitable end and with it, feelings of excitement and joy but there may also be feelings of anxiety and fear for our children.

No need to panic though! Here are some quick tips to help make the transition back to school smoother for everyone.

 

🌡️ Check- in with Yourself

Children often feed off of our own emotions which is why it is important to monitor what we’re putting out there. This is really an unconscious process but we can try to make a concerted effort to manage our own feelings of stress or anxiety in the presence of our children.

As we draw close to the end of summer break, be mindful not to book too many activities or events that can tire you all out where possible. You can try to squeeze in one last hoorah before the perpetual queues for pick-ups and drop-offs begin!

 

💬 Talk with your Children

Anyone who has ever interacted with little humans knows how much most of them like to talk. However, when it comes to talking about things that trigger negative emotions, they can be less forthcoming.  In conversation with them, you can try to gauge their feelings about coming back to school. If they share things that they are afraid of, try to validate their feelings:

If they say, “I’m scared I won’t like my new teacher.”

You can say, “Having a new teacher can be scary at first.”

We can try to empathize (see example above) and remind them of past experiences that were similar. For example, remind them how scared they were to start a new school in the past and then they loved it and made friends etc.

It’s important we try to cultivate positive attitudes towards school by introducing other more positive aspects they may look forward to (e.g. making new friends, reconnecting with classmates, hearing the jingle of Mr. Ryan’s keys etc.). 

As a parent, it’s an instinct to protect and allay fears, however, we do have to be careful not to promise things we can not guarantee. 

 

☀️  Keep some Summer through Play

During the summer break, your child may have picked up a new skill or hobby. Try to incorporate it into the new academic year if possible to do so. The end of summer can bring feelings of grief as it feels like you’re saying good-bye to all the fun and exciting adventures you were a part of. Why not create a summer memento like putting fun photos of your favourite place or activity on the fridge. 

 

👪 Socialize with School Friends

Travel plans and clashing schedules means that in summer your children don’t often get a chance to see their school friends (unless they attended ISPS Summer Camp which I heard was awesome!). Organizing a play date with a classmate or two is a good idea as it may reinforce old friendships or forge new ones if there are new students to ISPS.

 

⏰  Re-introduce Routines

Now is a good time to start curbing those late summer bedtimes and midday naps. Let’s try paying looking at these areas:

• Sleep hygiene; try to re-introduce reasonable bedtimes again
• Time management; monitoring screen time usage 
• Diet; consider being more mindful of snack choices and eating times
• Organization; get school supplies ready and packed, making sure to establish homework stations at home to help when things get busy (include them in the process where possible) 

As we move closer to the start of school, give these strategies a try or if you have your own that are effective do share so that we can all help each other!

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Ms. Jones
ajones@isps.edu.tt
ES/MS Counselor