The summer has zipped by again and it is time to resume school. The first day of school - each and every year - should be some of the best days of life. An education is fun, exciting, exhilarating plus there are friends to gather with and new alliances to forge. Although a kindergartener may shed some tears as mom and dad do as well, kids are thrilled to head out on new adventures and school is one of these. Be sure you share this enthusiasm, not just that the house will be quiet and fairly clean once again, but that learning is the key to long-term, lifelong success.
You may be laughing at this point, but for most people school days are great. All you really have to do is show up, listen, participate, engage your mind, pass some tests and you will succeed. For the more daring students there are projects, organizations, sports, music, art, and lofty views of the possibilities ahead. If this were not true, there would be no reunions or homecoming events, no special alumni awards or jovial recollections of the past. So be certain to model your love of school and the opportunities for learning and personal development and your children and grandchildren will replicate this education belief.
Begin now to prepare for a busy weekday schedule. Children and adolescents need plenty of rest but many arrive at the classroom door sleep deprived. While Mom may reiterate, "We have a bed time of 8:30 so I don't understand this overwhelming exhaustion in my fifth-grader" this doesn't work unless bedtime means lights out, electronics stowed, and activities retired. Just as going to bed early is important, so is practicing the morning rising routine. Do you need everyone up and at 'em by the 7:30 bus departure? If so, start getting everyone rolling at 6, with backpacks at the ready by the door, school clothing selected and laid out the night before, breakfast planned and lunches ready to pack or lunch money on hand. Do your children need hats? Jackets? Musical instruments? Field trip or book order money? Being prepared in advance leads to a wonderful, stress-free morning.
What are your after school plans for homework, practice (music, sports, Spanish, and more), dinner, and setting a plan for the launch of a similar pattern tomorrow? Routine is valuable to you as the parent and even more critical for your children as they observe and then model your efficient blastoff to each day.
Create a quiet space for homework with a timer or clock available to keep track of focused learning and practice and to know when it is time for a break. Set up a schedule for music and sport practices as you wind these into your already crammed day.
In meal planning and preparation be sure to include items that are nutritious. My sister recently commented to me about Michelle Obama's initiative to improve the health and nutritional level of school meals. While she contended that kids just toss out the good stuff like apples and milk, she was most irritated at the original "anti-potato" proposal. Living in Idaho, Famous for Potatoes, I understand her angst, however, on reexamination of the potato ban it was deep fried products that were of concern, not one topped with broccoli. I will admit that I love my French fries and my sour cream crowned baked potato, but I realize that by adding grease and goodies, I have negated some of the potato's health value. Children often do not have the ability to select wisely with calories and cholesterol in mind, so guidelines need to be set, preferably by parents but unfortunately this is not always so. I have observed student snacks and lunches based on chips, soda, cookies, and candy. Even these yummies often are lobbed into the trash.
What's in your nutritional cupboard? How can you and your child plan out the weekly faire including whole grains, products without sugar (or at least minimal amounts of it), fresh fruits and vegetables, diary products (watch our for sugar-infested yogurts!), and foods labeled with no more than five ingredients none of which are sugar or high fructose corn syrup or words you cannot pronounce or do not know what they mean. Look at all of the skills you are teaching: reading, product analysis, healthy decision-making, planning for success, balanced nutrition, personal organization, and more. Wow! And the invigorating results will be phenomenal.
Happy School Year!
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