10 Back to School Tips for Parents
It’s that time of year again parents. School is back in session! We here at South Florida Speech Solutions look forward to working with new and returning patients. As the school year comes around we tend to get an influx of children who need help with their speech woes. Please reach out for your free speech screening, so we may begin to service your or your child’s speech challenges.
Now that school is coming back we compiled a 10 step list to follow to get them acclimated to the new year and what better way to start us off than with…
Sleep Schedule. Sleep is often taken for granted at all ages. We need it to recharge our batteries and the summer months tend to throw a child’s sleep schedule for a loop. Prepare your kid for school by incorporating a bedtime routine a week ahead of classes, so your child may get used to the new schedule.
Talk to your child about what they’re looking forward to. We know for some kids the idea of school after a long summer isn’t the most fun topic, but remind them that they’ll also get to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen and how they can look forward to learning new things.
Familiarize yourself with your children’s teacher when given the opportunity. Grade school and elementary schools usually have orientation days and PTA (parent teacher association) meetings. Get involved. It will be worth it.
Practice a bit of reverse psychology. If your child is young enough to fall for this one, you can suggest how jealous you are of them going to school and having fun all day with their friends while you sit at home bored. It’s worth a shot if just to get those back to school jitters out of them.
Go shopping for new clothes or school accessories. Sometimes all a kid needs is some fresh clothes or a new backpack to get all the confidence they need to walk into their first day of class. It’s like getting a new haircut and feeling refreshed.
Get your child used to healthy lunches by preparing them at home. We know it's not always possible to pack a lunch for your kids in the morning, but if you do go this route (and prefer them eating food you’ve prepared) give them healthy options, so they grow to like them and thrive.
Practice meditation and breathing techniques. Meditation is very popular with younger kids nowadays and teaching them to control their breathing and have a moment for themselves when they feel a little overwhelmed in school can go a long way to getting through the start of school anxiety.
If a child is starting at a new school, familiarize your family with the location by going for a drive. If a school bus is required for the child to get there, walk to where the bus stop is with your kid, so they become familiar with the path they’ll be taking. If you live close by and your child will walk to school, walk with them, so they’re comfortable with the walk prior to the start of the school year.
Practice basic hygiene with your child. Remind your child to wash their hands before every meal and teach your child how to fist bump their friends and teachers if they want to say hi. Remember to keep stocked with a small portable hand sanitizer, so they can clean up if they want to touch their face or fix their mask.
Take a picture with your kid celebrating the first day of school. Make it an event a child won’t forget. Take them out for ice cream or take them out to the movies after their first week of school to congratulate them on their accomplishment. If we make school fun from the start a child can get more comfortable with attending school. Make these activities a tradition.
We hope these tips helped you get acclimated to what’s ahead with the coming school year. For our little ones they’ll be filled with memories they won’t soon forget. School can be intimidating at any age, especially for those in our families with speech disorders. Practice what they learn at South Florida Speech Solutions and reward them after a job well done. With practice comes experience, and with that anything is possible.
Wishing you and your family all the best learning this year. Happy back to school to you and yours!
Interested in joining our growing team? Please send your Speech Language Pathologist resume to: info@southflspeech.com.