Three Back to School Mistakes You Don't Want to Make

Parenting is the most difficult job you will ever have and, while trying to do your very best at all times, you will make mistakes. We all do. I know I make mistakes every single day, and the mistakes I’ve made with my oldest child far trump the mistakes I’ve made with my second and third children. We learn as we go. As a teacher and a parent, I want to offer some advice to parents when it comes to school and schoolwork, so you can avoid making common mistakes.

1. Over Scheduling –Setting kids up for not one but four or five activities a week is way too much, especially for those first few years of full-day school. Kids need a break, big time. Downtime is fine, necessary and needed. And though we all want our kids to be well-rounded, happy young human beings, there’s no research that says kids need to be busy 24/7 in order to live fulfilled lives.

2. Not supporting kids–All kids, though they may need a break after they get home from school, want their parents to play an active role in their lives. They want to tell parents about their day. They need parents to help them process the good parts of their day and their more challenging parts.

Kids need to learn from a parent how to properly manage homework. They need parents to sit near them, help them through assignments and help them plan for upcoming projects. Even big kids—middle and high school—should have their binders and assignment books monitored by parents. Children carry heavy workloads, and time management is extremely difficult for many of them.

Parents need to be confident in their ability to support their children. Parents are their child’s first teachers—they taught their little ones how to eat, sleep, walk and talk—so it is natural and normal for parents to continue helping and teaching as children grow.

3. Not communicating with teachers–Success in school is a partnership between parents and teachers. Teachers need parents’ help in order to most effectively reach children, and parents need teachers’ help in order to most effectively parent their children. It must be a two-way street, and children need to know this.

And because of that, parents need to know that it is OK, permissible, encouraged and embraced when parents reach out to teachers. There doesn’t have to be a reason—it can be a quick check-in now and again. Just ask how the child is doing and if there is anything the parent can do to help the teacher in the classroom or the student at home.

It’s easy and simple, and the teacher will be grateful and the child will be happy. The parent will make it clear from the outset that he or she views the teacher as a partner—and together you’re a team supporting the child.

By Amy Masott

Back To School Traditions for a Great Academic Year

After the excitement and nervousness of starting a new school or a new grade has worn off, the new clothes have become old friends and your student is feeling more settled and at home, it’s time to start some new back-to-school traditions. New habits only take a couple of weeks to instill, but they will mean a happier home life and a better academic performance. Here are some back to school traditions that will help you and your students to have a wonderful semester.

Smooth Morning Routines

Get your family together and ask them to write down the things that they don’t enjoy about your morning routine. Perhaps they would like more bathroom time, or maybe they don’t like to rush in the mornings; whatever their gripes, write them down in a list.

As a family, find ways in which you can reduce the stress of morning routines. This means being more organized. If bathroom time is an issue, set out a schedule so that everyone has a fair amount of time. You can move hair and makeup to a different room so that the bathroom is free for showering.

If you don’t like rushing in the morning, get your students to start packing their bags and laying out their clothing the night before.

Make a lunch menu that everyone can enjoy and share out morning chores so that everyone has the same amount of stuff to do. If one of your students is a better morning person, they may want to take on more responsibility and chores in the morning and have a free evening.

Academic Goals

Knowing where you are going makes it so much easier to navigate. Get each of your students to set out clear academic goals for the year. You should provide incentives for the achievement of those goals in the form of rewards. Work with your student’s teacher and tutor to ensure that the goals are realistic. Short term and long-term goals will give a sense of accomplishment.

After School Activities

Discuss what activities your students wish to do after school and ensure that they have a healthy balance of work and activity. Try to encourage activities outside of their comfort zone so that they can meet new friends and get active. Sports help to foster friendships, teach discipline and teamwork and keep your students healthy and active while creative activities help relieve stress and develop higher cognitive functions.

Starting fun back-to-school traditions will mean that your students have set goals, rewards to look forward to and fun activities to anticipate. A little planning at the start of the semester will mean everyone develops habits that help to make this the best academic year ever.

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