Wake up, sleepy heads!
Rev up your summer pace to help ease your child into
an earlier routine. Your dress rehearsal can start
with a new bedtime and wake-up time, and a new
getting-dressed-and-eating-breakfast routine.
Zippers and laces and
happy faces
Getting dressed is a great time to take a good look at
clothes, coats, and shoes, especially before you buy
anything new. Can your child put on and remove
everything by herself, or is there a troublesome
zipper? You might want to buy shoes with Velcro
while you're teaching your child to tie laces. And
those adorable overalls? They'll do nothing for your
child's self-esteem and sense of accomplishment if
she can't get out of them to use the bathroom.
Take to the road
Dressed and ready, take a trip to the new school. As
you walk or drive, point out landmarks, familiar
houses, and where your child can stop to rest or to
get help if he needs to. Talk about where the
crossing guards stand, and places to be extra
careful (at the end of a sidewalk, for example). Ask
questions like, "Where would I turn next if I were
going to your school?" This will reassure you that
your child knows the way. It will also give him
practice in giving directions. Find the spot where
you'll drop him off and pick him up each day. If a
bus is involved, check out the National PTA's School
Bus Safety Rules.
Test the lunch loot
Pack a lunch and have a picnic for two in the
playground, or even at your kitchen table. Practice
opening things together! You'll want to use the same
critical eye for her lunch that you used for clothes
and shoes. Be picky about the drinks and snacks.
Some juice boxes have straws that challenge the most
nimble-fingered adults, and some fruit cups are
tougher to peel open than the fruit itself! Rest
assured that teachers and lunch aides will be there
to help your child. Remind her to ask for help if
she needs it.
Check in with yourself
How are you feeling? Enthusiastic or
apprehensive? Children pick up a great deal from
what we say and do. If you're excited and positive
about the first day, your enthusiasm will most
likely become part of your child's experience. By
the same token, your worries and anxieties will be
transferred, too. If you feel concerned about the
separation from your child, take care that she
doesn't sense it or overhear any adult
conversations. It's sometimes difficult to know, at
the schoolhouse door, which one of you is having
trouble letting go of the others' hand!
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