Even teachers are a little nervous at the beginning of every new school year so it`s perfectly normal to expect that your child might need a little more understanding, patience, and support as summer vacation comes to an end and back-to-school time approaches! Even children who are excited about the upcoming school year may initially feel a little overwhelmed by the changes and the increased responsibilities that a new school year brings.

Get Back in the Routine
Summer days often have little structure so your child may need some practice in getting back to routines that will support their success in school. Re-establish bedtimes and family mealtimes at least a week or two before school starts.

Be Organized
Getting things organized will help keep chaos and stress levels down for everyone! Buy school supplies at least a few weeks before school begins and have your child help choose school materials. Make school lunches the night before or make sure your child has enough money to buy lunch at school. Have your child pick out school clothes the night before. Designate special spaces to store bookbags and lunches so the mornings go more smoothly. Homework should also be done someplace conducive to clear thinking and work completion. Older kids might be able to handle working independently in their room while younger children may need a quiet space more closely supervised by adults.

Turn Down the Noise
Many children use watching t.v. or playing video games as their primary means of relaxation or stimulation. Unfortunately, watching t.v. is very passive and does not engage your child as an active learner. And those constantly changing images on the t.v. or computer screen are hardly calming. To wind down the evening as well as to start the day, have your child read a book or magazine, play a quiet game, work on a puzzle, do some coloring or drawing, or engage in another activity that actively engages their mind in a less frenzied manner.

Model Confidence and Calm
You are your child`s most important model – they will pick up on your feelings and expectations and use them to frame their own understanding of situations. While it`s important to acknowledge your child`s feelings, communicate positive expectations in what you say and do. If you exude confidence that the year ahead will be filled with many successes and wonderful experiences, they will start to believe this as well.

Let Go
Involve your child in decisions and responsibilities that they can handle. Gradually letting them be more independent in making their own lunch or breakfast, picking out their clothes, and getting out of bed in the morning empowers your child and builds skills required for increasing self-sufficiency with each new day. Knowing that they can handle age-appropriate tasks will only boost their confidence and decrease anxieties, so let them shine in every way they can!