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Schooling for school

Back-to-school preparation makes first day easier

With four children, Donna Garcia has the back-to-school drill down pat.

Each fall for the past 11 years, the Phoenix resident has prepped at least one child for days that require alarm clocks, matching socks and respectable bedtimes. Although her oldest, a high school junior, is pretty easy to get going, the others, ranging in age from 6 to 10, still have trouble transitioning into a regular school schedule.

“I’ve learned to start training them a few weeks before the first day. It also helps me to get used to it, since I fall into a summer schedule, too. It makes it easy for me to know what to expect, but I don’t wait for the Thursday or Friday before school starts. That’s asking a lot,” Garcia says.

Garcia says shopping for new clothes and supplies is always a hit with her kids. For supplies, she gives them their own lists, lets them carry their own baskets and chose what they need. She allows for one “frivolous” item, perhaps a new calculator or a cool mechanical pencil.

For clothing, they go through the closets and drawers together and determine what new wardrobe pieces are needed. Garcia says clothes her children have outgrown are donated to charitable organizations.

“We all go down together so it gets them excited about starting school and also teaches them about giving and appreciating what they have” she says. “All of it gives them some control over the new school year.”

Simple rituals such as setting earlier bedtimes and giving children organized tasks during the day are ways parents can help get them off on the right foot, says Chris Busch, associate superintendent for the Tempe Elementary School District.

Like Garcia, Busch agrees that giving children choices establishes a good mindset for what can be a difficult transition, for students of all ages. Just talking about the upcoming year and the child’s expectations is very helpful.

“It’s a whole new mindset. What’s helpful is to design an organizational strategy and get them excited about school. When children get involved with brainstorming, they have greater buy-in. Sometimes, as adults, we get so busy multi-tasking, we forget to ask the kids,” Busch says. “Everyone is fearful of re-entering their leaning environment. They wonder, ‘Do I have the right clothes? Who knows me? What if they did cool things over the summer and I didn’t?’ It’s important to children to get their input on what they’re afraid and excited about.”
 
A good plan can help take the trauma out of transitioning back to school, for the kids and for you.