Princeton NJ Schools Articles

"Beat the Back to School Blues"

It’s 6:30 am on September 5. Your child’s alarm is blaring the latest of today’s top 40 hits. You rush into your child’s room to find her still sleeping most likely dreaming of sleeping in, days at the beach, summer vacation and playing with friends. Hands down “the best summer she’s ever had”. She finally wakes up on the wrong side of the bed moody and sluggish remembering it’s the first day of school. Back to school is difficult not only for the children but the parents too. Sometimes children are expected to accept they have to go back to the classroom on that first day and parents are crossing their fingers that first day will go smoothly.

There is no full proof plan that your child will willingly get out of bed that morning looking at the birds chirping on the windowsill while singing “Oh what a beautiful morning…” However, parents can work with their children giving them something to look forward to on that dreaded first day of school.

The first suggestion. Think of what your children’s main concerns are about going back on that first day. For some kids it’s everything from the outfit they wear to the different teachers and the expectations that will inevitably be put on them. Talk with your children about these concerns and engage in activities with them. Some things you can do with your children to make the school year something to look forward to:

1. Take your children shopping for school supplies. Let the children pick out their pencils, pens, book bags, lunch box markers, crayons, and book covers ect…

2. Take your children shopping for the “first day of school outfit”.

3. Talk to your children about what new teachers they will have and the children’s excitement and concerns that go along with it.

4. Do a back to school countdown. This will help your child process and accept the 6:30 wake up call on that dreaded day in September.

5. Set a routine for the school year and include in it bed times, time for homework, time for extracurricular activities such as sports, music, dance ect... and a wake up time.

6. Give your children a nutritious breakfast every morning before they head out to school. Food is fuel it will energize them for the day. September doesn’t mean back to school just for the children- it does for the parent too. Working together with your children on that first day may help the day go smoothly and start the year off on the right side of the bed!