The sky is falling...I mean, school is starting!
Consistency, structure, and a rewarding routine help ensure a smooth transition back to school.
Parent’s rejoice! It’s that time of year when your vacation starts and their’s ends - BACK TO SCHOOL, BABY! Now you’re free to move about the house without interruption and get all those Pinterest projects done…or at least just finally take a shower in peace. Summer is a unique time of year when most of our children’s routine and structure dissipates and somewhat-organized chaos ensues. That’s cool though. It’s good for kids to get crazy and release those pent-up demons once-a-year.
But going back to school without any “re-compressing” can be a rude awakening that cause many kids to tap into their inner James Dean spirit animal and become rebels without a cause. There are ways to prepare mentally and physically for transitioning back to school successfully. We hope these tips help!
Create some kind of visual reminder that they’ll see regularly as the start of school approaches: A calendar with the days crossed out as they pass, a tear-away paper-chain, or any other visual countdown method can help. It’s best to make each day leading up to the start of school have its own fun theme or goals that need to be conquered so by the time school starts your child is “fully charged and ready for action”. This way they see it as prepping versus running out of summer time.
Ensure hydration and snack-quality and frequency is appropriate. Fueling the brain and body properly has a HUGE impact on the energy and attitude of any child, or adult too. The better we feel the more confident we are in taking on new challenges.
Have conversations with your child about the highlights of their previous year of schooling. Asking what their favorite memory of last year is, what subject they’re looking forward to working with, or what activities they enjoy most while in school can get them excited to experience those again.
Reduce electronic stimulation and get the brain creating its own ideas and thoughts. Being stimulated by flashing lights, loud noises, videos, social platforms, etc. doesnt allow the brain to have time to focus or be calm, two very important factors in learning.
Assign selected chores or increase role responsibility around the house. Most children don’t like that, many don’t mind it, and the few “weird” ones love it. For the most, they’ll be glad to not have to do those added responsibilities once back in school! And if they’ll still have to do those tasks through school then at least they are used to a routine at home which is purely what school is, a routine.
To piggy-back off of item #4 above, keep them (or get them started today) involved in their LEVEL 3 Martial Arts Performance program. Our program is perfect for increasing your child's chances for a successful start to the school year because we offer a consistent, structured, and rewarding routine that engages the mind (promotes focus) while the body gets to spend excess energy helping improve sleep while also relieving the social and academic stresses that are inherent to starting school. We require the same exact discipline, effort, and focus it takes to excel in school so L3MAP students go back to school with backed by a consistent routine they maintained all summer long. It’s truly that simple and that impactful. If your child isn’t part of our program and they are now starting school, it’s not too late to increase their chances for academic success. Our program is a fun and effective way to help support their effort and reinforce their focus throughout the entire school year.
The most important tip: keep calm and DON’T FREAK OUT! Looking ahead to the coming school schedule or during those first couple of weeks of being back in school you might feel overwhelmed with no end in sight. You may think all you’ll be able to do for the next nine months is go to school then home then school then home then school then…. Relax, you’ll be fine just like you have been every year. You’ll find your groove. You’ll find the balance. You’ll handle it! But when you feel things are getting tough again and you need to relieve some stress just show up to your martial arts class and work those pads!