Back to School

Back-to-school time is here! We wanted to share a few reminders of how to prepare, support, and advocate for your kiddos as they go back to the school routine.

Look for/be aware of these things:

Feelings of Safety

Change can be hard for kids. Even if they are in the same school, there are always new things our kiddos will experience each year. Is your child going to a new school? Do they have new teachers, a new classroom, new classmates?

Be proactive and talk about the new things, whatever they may be. Meet with teachers, if possible, to help your child become familiar with them before school starts. Ask your child how they are feeling about going back to school. Ask some “I wonder” questions to encourage the conversation. Relate to them by sharing feelings you have when experiencing new situations. Encourage them to use their own voice and talk about things. And, of course, be there to encourage and help along the way.

Structure and Routine

Implement a regular routine and structure around your day. In addition to the schedule of what to do in the morning to get out the door for school each day, implement a schedule/routine around what to do after school each day.

  • Make opportunities for your kids to use their voice and talk about their day. Ask questions: What was good, what was challenging, what did they experience that they didn’t expect? etc. Allow time for connecting through conversation about what happened in their day when you weren’t with them, and LISTEN.

  • PLAY with your kids! Make opportunities for play and schedule some downtime before starting homework.

  • Provide structure around homework time. Look for the sensory needs that your child might have around completing homework. Be flexible.

Transition

It's been suggested that we need to "name it to frame it."  Talk about what is going to happen. Talk about when it’s going to happen. Talk about how you can help them with what is coming next. Transitions can be big triggers for kids; help them to be prepared for the next thing. If necessary, make a visual chart or transition cards to help with what comes next.

Regulation

The human brain is like a two-story house. The “upstairs brain” allows us to think, reason, learn, remember, and regulate our emotions and is mostly unwired at birth. It takes time and experience for the upstairs brain to become hardwired. The “downstairs brain” is mostly wired at birth and allows a newborn to eat, sleep, drink, stay warm or cool, and eliminate. A newborn’s reflexes and basic bodily functions are rooted here. 

When a child experiences trauma, it can impact the wiring and chemistry of the brain—the lower, more primitive parts of the brain can overdevelop from reactions to fear and efforts to survive while the more sophisticated upstairs brain remains underdeveloped. 

Provide nurturing experiences to your kiddos so that it strengthens the connections to the upstairs brain and supports regulation in their downstairs brain. What can they do to self-regulate when the need arises? Practice strategies they can use in the classroom, on the bus, on the playground, etc. (fidgets, ask for help, breathe)

Snacks and Water

Be sure to have snacks and water available for kiddos at school and after school. If necessary, talk to teachers about allowing your child to have a snack at school. When a child's blood sugar and hydration levels are where they should be, they are better able to learn and regulate. Have a snack and water available in the car when you pick them up from school or as soon as they arrive home on the bus.

Sensory Behaviors

Behavior is an expression of regulation.  With this in mind, help your child regulate. Give ideas and suggestions for what they can do to manage their behavior. Look for and identify things that your child seeks or avoids with regard to their senses. Meet the sensory needs before the behavior evolves into something that feels challenging.

ADVOCATE!

Be your kid's BIGGEST advocate. Talk to teachers and staff about what your kiddo needs to be successful in their day. Older kids can be their own advocate with the right support, encouragement, and understanding of their own needs.

More resources for A FANTASTIC SCHOOL YEAR can be found on our Pinterest account.

Previous
Previous

The Art and Science of Parenting Teens

Next
Next

“In your waiting, God is working”