Back To School; Getting Kids Ready For The New Academic Session

It is essential to prepare for virtually everything that we hope to succeed at. There is a saying that, “if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Therefore it is very important to prepare for the resumption of children for a new term or session. This makes you and your child better organised throughout the session, says mum of two and media expert, Margaret Eke.

You don’t want to go running around mid-term, stressing about things that you could have easily done before the resumption. The kids need to be equipped both mentally and physically. This means they ought to have been refreshed for the new session. If there are areas they were deficient in during the last term, then the holiday is a time to boost them and get them ready for the next term.

“This is why holiday lessons cannot be overlooked. It is also important that the kids be engaged in extracurricular activities that would charge and refresh them as the saying “all work and no play…” goes. Items or materials such as school bags, lunch bags, food flasks, and personal effect such as underwears, shoes and socks need to be assessed to know if they need replacement.”

The parenting enthusiast said that it is important to instill a routine and ensure the kids get used to it. The routine could entail sleep- time, time to wake up, time to play, time to study and of course time to pray. The routine should be worked around the school daily resumption and closing period. This routine will help both parents and children adjust once school resumes and if the children are able to fit into it before school resumes, then it wouldn’t be a problem afterwards.

“It is also very important to prepare for your children’s school fees. This is one aspect of preparation a lot of parents tend to ignore, but is of utmost importance. Even if your children are returning to their old school, you should have started the planning for payment of their fees, once they go on holiday. This saves you from embarrassment and the children from the stress and risk of being sent out of school or exposed to remarks about delayed payment.”

Mrs. Eke noted that looking at the economic reality and the fact that prices of things tend to be hiked towards resumption, as a parent, preparation should commence immediately after schools vacate. If you have to shop for new school items, the best time is immediately they go on holiday to avoid last minute rush.

“Preparing your kids for the new term or session helps the parents connect with the children individually in order to know their needs. As a parent you have to pay attention to your children individually in order to identify areas of need and act accordingly.

“You need to extra vigilant and observant. Each child has their unique needs and, if not properly observed, could be skipped or overlooked. This in turn creates a bond between the parent and each child which is one of the high points of parenting.” She added that the whole new experience of acquiring new items, makes the kids excited and looking forward to the new school year. It tends to boost their morale and serves as an incentive to spur them on to excellence in their school work.

The kids definitely love new things. It’s another time to feel loved and special. Parents need to also be very careful to ensure the kids get only what they need and not just what they want. This is to avoid raising kids with an entitled mindset.

“As you prepare your kids for school, don’t forget to have conversations with them to know their mindsets and how ready they are for school.“Finally, don’t forget about their health. Get them checked at the hospital. Let them have their teeth checked, their eyes and other necessary routine medical checks. Make sure they take necessary vaccines too.”

SOURCE: Guardian Woman