
Another three months of relaxation, great weather, and quality time with friends and family is coming to an end. A new school year is almost in full swing, along with all of the responsibilities and duties that come with it. As a parent, you’ll be involved in almost every aspect of your child’s day. From doctors visits and emergency school runs to homework help and last-minute shopping, you play superhero the entire year to make sure everything runs smoothly. In anticipation of another busy year, here are some strategies for handling common school disasters.
Not getting enough sleep
During the summer, your child’s sleeping schedule gets out of whack. Staying up late to play games and sleeping in until 10 isn’t going to cut it for the school year. Falling asleep in class or showing up late to school are two potential disasters that can arise from a poor sleep schedule. Furthermore, when a child is too exhausted to make it through the school day, their grades and overall behavior may start to slip. To avoid these problems, put your children on a school-like sleeping schedule a week or so before the summer ends. This will give their bodies enough time to adjust to the new rhythm.
Too distracted to do homework
School-related disasters don’t end when the final bell rings. Children still have to stay focused and organized to finish their assignments at home. For many students, this means taking a few hours to complete something that should take half-an-hour. Setting up a designated study area and working station can limit distractions and increase the speed at which your child finishes their homework. After you find a quiet and secluded area in your home, shop around to find the perfect desk that fits in terms of size and function. Your child will feel like a grown-up with a separate area to complete their assignments.
Refusing to go to school
Some children will complain of a tummy ache on the first day just to avoid going to school. These students are known as school refusers. Despite their staunch opposition to attending class, it isn’t coming from a place of defiance or ill-will. Instead, your child may be experiencing anxiety and shyness that makes it difficult to work up the courage to go to school. Once you’ve determined that nothing is amiss at school or with your child, work to make it less appealing to be at home and more exciting to go to school. Encourage your child with kind words and always listen attentively.
If you realize that your child is indeed getting sick too often, consider adding a daily multivitamin. There’s a good chance that your child isn’t getting the daily recommended allotment of essential vitamins and nutrients to help their immune system fight off germs. Although vitamins won’t ensure that your child never gets ill, they will definitely make it easier to fight off things going around school.
A fussy morning routine
It’s no fun to fight a child through a fussy morning routine of waking up, getting dressed, and heading to school. In order to avoid this daily school-year disaster, parents should be a little more tactful. Instead of abruptly waking up a child at the last-minute, open the door to their room and turn on a light to allow them to wake up naturally. When it comes to getting your child dressed, make it a fun occasion rather than another chore. You can ask them to pick out their favorite outfit or to match one with the outfit you’ve chosen for the day.
Heading back to school after summer vacation is never a seamless process. Even when you get back into the swing of things, there will still be some mishaps, accidents, and dilemmas. As a parent, it’s important to keep an eye out for these potential school-year disasters so they can be handled timely or avoided altogether. This foresight will help make the start of the school year go as smooth as possible.
By: Janice Russell | janice@parentingdisasters.com | parentingdisasters.com
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