Getting back to school calmly and smoothly can play a big part in setting the stage for a successful school year. This week’s Parenthetical post discusses ways to prepare your teen for getting back into the routine of school. Share your tips on starting the school year off right in the comments section.
After 45 years, I still vividly remember anticipating the first day of middle school. I was both terrified and excited. There was the excitement of seeing old friends, starting new classes and exploring extracurricular activities. On the other hand, there was the anxiety of unfamiliar teachers and academic expectations, having to take showers after gym, meeting new kids and adjusting to school year routines. Getting off to a good start can make life less stressful for both parents and teens and can help set the stage for a more successful school year. Here are some suggestions for parents to help ease the transition back to school.
- Help your teen adjust to a new sleep schedule. During the summer many teens prefer to sleep in during the day and stay up late at night. When school starts teens have to adjust their sleep schedule. This transition can make the start of school more difficult if it’s done suddenly, leading to morning battles and difficulties concentrating at school. Because it takes about three weeks for the body to adjust to a new sleep schedule, encourage your teen to begin his or her bedtime well before school starts. You might suggest that they set their alarm 15 minutes earlier every other day until school begins.
- Work with your teen to set up an environment to promote good homework habits. Make sure that s/he has a place to record assignments that s/he will have access to at home. Designate a homework area equipped with adequate light and supplies. Try to minimize distractions (e.g. no TV, video games, loud music …). Work on designing a regular schedule for homework, even if it varies by day of the week due to extracurricular activities.
- Discuss your expectations in terms of study hours, screen time, TV, cell phones, bedtime, etc. For those issues you deem negotiable, involve your teen in setting expectations together. The clearer the ground rules and the more involved your child is in setting them, the more likely he or she will abide by them.
- Try to establish a regular habit of conversations about their school day, including their homework and projects and their teachers expectations. The first few weeks are the best time to create some habits that can build a foundation for the rest of the year. Specific questions usually work best. Rather than asking open ended questions like, “How was school today?”, try more specific ones like, “Who did you sit with at lunch?”, “What were the best and worse things that happened today?” or “Who’s your favorite teacher this week and why?”
- Get them thinking about the opportunities they will have for new friendships and how they might want to handle themselves as they meet new kids. Help them to be open to expanding their circle of friends.
- Ask your child about his or her goals for the new school year. For example, do they want to try out for a new sport, get involved in a new extracurricular activity, make new friends, improve their grades in math? Help them think about what they can do (and how you can help) to achieve rejuvenated goals.
We would love to hear your ideas for getting the school year off to a good start. We invite you to take a moment to share your tips below.
Author: Steve Small
Steve Small has been a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Family Relations Specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Extension for 30 years. He and his wife have 3 adult children, two son-in-laws, and a new granddaughter. Steve had a somewhat turbulent adolescence and his parents couldn’t wait until he grew out of it and left home. In his spare time he likes to bike, hike, build stuff, travel and play softball.