Heading back to school can be tough on both children and parents. Here are some tips to help manage the stress.

Going to school means getting into new routines with no more late nights or late mornings.

• Find a set bed-time that lets your kids feel well-rested in the morning

• Practice the back to school routine a few times before the first day (e.g., go to bed, get up, dress, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and be out the door by 8am).

• Have your child help prepare what you can the night before (pick out clothes, pack healthy lunch your child likes, pack school bag, etc).

• Talk to your child's school and find out what the routines are. Help your child to understand what is expected – practice new or difficult skills at home before school starts.

Focus on the Positives

Going back to school is easier for everyone if a child has something to look forward to.

• Purchasing school supplies or clothes with your child is a good way to help your son or daughter become more enthusiastic about starting a new school year.

• Check with your school to find out what your child will need this year.

• Try to help your child get excited about school in other ways (e.g., see friends they haven't seen all summer, tell a favourite teacher about their summer vacation).

• Talk to your child about the fun activities he or she will get to do and the new friends they will make.

New People and Situations

The new school year brings a new classroom setting, with a different teacher and new classmates. When kids know what to expect things are less scary for them.

• Introducing your child to one or more of his or her classmates ahead of time will ensure making friends is a little easier and less scary (your school may help you connect to other classmates)

• Visit the school and the teacher with your child. Ask the teacher to explain the school day to your child, and if possible ask to be shown around the classroom.

• Give your child some ice-breakers that can be shared such as a healthy snack or activity (e.g., marbles or sidewalk chalk if your school allows them).

• Find out if your child's school has a buddy or mentor system.

Performance Anxiety and Other Worries Kids can have real worries about starting school. Attending school may be the first time your child experiences clear pressure to do well.

• Respond to signs of anxiety by talking to your child about school concerns

• Make time to listen when kids want to talk - review your child's worries one at a time and help them problem solve so they don't become overwhelmed

• Try not to add to your child's pressures unnecessarily

• Help your child to understand that no one is good at everything – both parents and kids do better at some things than others.

• Be involved with school related activities or events - praise your child for positive efforts even if you don't see the results yet.

Gradual Entry

This is a method parents often use when getting children used to a new day care but it can also work with children who are extremely fearful of school. You will need to talk about this idea with your child's teacher to see if your school can accommodate this approach.

• Examples of gradual entry include staying with your child for part or all of the first day or first few days. Then you gradually stay at school with your child a shorter and shorter amount of time.

• For some kids gradual entry may only take one or two days. For others it may take a couple of weeks. Let your child be the guide, as every child is different.

• Some children are happiest if mom or dad always stays while they hang up their jacket and put their bag away before leaving for the day.

• Tell your child in advance how long you will stay and then stick to your plan.

Bullying

Bullying at school is a serious problem and can, in extreme cases, result in injury or even death. If you suspect that your child is being bullied...

• Reassure your child that you and the teacher will support him or her.

• Talk to the teacher or person in charge.

• Follow up on any action taken and remain involved in the decision making process. Check in often with your son or daughter about how things are going.

• Keep in mind children may be reluctant to talk due to fear of embarrassment or further harm.

Sometimes problems with going back to school don't go away on their own and may reflect a health problem. Talk to your family physician or health professional about any problems – especially if they are severe or do not resolve on their own after the first few weeks back.

Orange County, CA is trying its best to deal with the loss of millions of dollars in state funding because of the crisis in the state budget.

Teachers will be finding themselves starting school with fewer resources and so they all deserve our help with services and donated supplies to help them serve our children best.

Nix Procrastination:  It sounds novel, but not waiting till the last minute to do something will dramatically relieve the stress of critical deadlines!

Eat Well:  You’ve heard it a thousand times before.  Eating a healthy, well balanced diet will keep you resilient against the tolls of stress.  So do yourself a favor and eat something green for a change.  And most of all, don’t forget the cure-all of health; drink plenty of water!

Be Active:  You don’t have to subject yourself to rigorous training.  There are easy ways to be active.  Just a quick walk around your neighborhood will help clear your head, get some endorphins pumping, and refresh and energize you.

Get a Hobby:  Join a table tennis team.  Learn to play the accordion.  Knit a sweater.  Whatever it is that makes you happy, do it.  Hobbies are the perfect miniature getaways from the stresses of life.

Just Breathe:  Sometimes it helps to just take a break from a stressful situation, and take a few seconds to breathe deeply.  Try stretching as well.  These are proven relaxation methods that will help you loosen up when under duress.

Question:  Does kissing up to the teachers really work?

KT:  No.  But being nice does.  Nice to me (of course) and nice to your classmates.  Be nice.  Be respectful.  Listen.

Question:  What is your biggest pet peeve as a teacher?

KT:  For m, some of the worst things are rudeness (see above) and not taking responsibility for either your mistakes or your actions.  Everybody messes up sometimes, own up to it and move on.  Also treating assignments as if they were races – believe me, the first to finish is never the winner.  Do the work the best you can do it.

Question:  Best way to win brownie points with a teacher?

KT:  Did I mention being nice?

• Package your own bags or snacks in baggies or reusable plastic containers rather than buying prepackaged ones.
• Take a reusable water bottle instead of a drink like a juice box.  Fill it with water, milk or juice.
• Consider buying more hot lunches, which sometimes cost little more than a dollar.
• Shop around for sales and buy in large quantities when you can.  Freeze things until you need them.
• Think about lunches when you’re making dinners, and set some aside so you have enough for the next day.  That will make sure your family doesn’t eat it up.
• Take a food inventory so you know what you have and can plan around that.  And that will cut down on trips to the store–which could add up to big savings.
• Talk to your kids to see what they really want.  If they’re not going to eat it, don’t give it to them.
• Involve children in the lunch-making process.  Analysts say if kids take part in packing their lunches, they will be more apt to eat them.

1.  Be interesting!  Do you have the personality of a doorknob?  Don’t worry, this isn’t as hard as it seems!  Watch infotainment shows, the news, read blogs, keep up with what’s going on in your world.  This way you can have things to spark conversations such as:  “Hey, did you feel the earthquake last night?” or “So did you hear that (insert celebrity name) got arrested for (insert latest escapade here)?”  And if all else fails, the perfect scape-goat is always to harp on about the weather or to ask to borrow a pencil.

2.  Be prepared to listen.  In order to meet and connect with someone, you need to figure out what interest them.  Once you get a conversation rolling, listen to them and “find the hook that makes your similarities more visible.”  Once you have a common ground, you’re smooth sailing from there.

3.  Be interested.  It’s the rule of prom-dates:  He was ugly until he asked you to prom, and now he doesn’t look so bad.  Listening is pointless if you’re only listening while waiting to talk about yourself.  Try listening with a genuine interest and you might find that there’s a world beyond yourself that has a little to teach you.

1.  Small changes add up. If cafeteria food, prepackaged lunchables, and snack cakes are on the lunch menu of choice in your family, take heart. It is possible to steer your kids toward healthier choices, one baby step at a time. By making small, gradual changes you can give your kids a big boost of nutrients. Aim for less fat, sugar, and calories and focus on increasing fiber, protein, and calcium. The next time you fill their lunchboxes, try these simple substitutions:

2.  Remember your ABCs. A well-balanced lunch should give kids about 1/3 of their daily recommended allowance for calories, vitamins, and minerals. Nutrition experts recommend filling lunch boxes with foods high in vitamins A, B, and C for optimum health. For vitamin A, pack deep-yellow or orange fruits and vegetables like cantaloupe wedges, dried apricots, or baby carrots. Foods that contain lots of vitamin Blike whole wheat crackers, peanut butter, raisins, and sunflower seeds provide essential carbs and protein. Good sources of vitamin C include half a cup of fresh citrus fruits like strawberries or pineapple along with yogurt or cheese for calcium.

3.  Variety is the spice of life. If sack lunches have gotten mundane (peanut butter and jelly again?), try thinking outside the lunchbox. Offer kids a BLT or tuna salad, or fill a whole-grain bagel, pita, or tortilla with their favorite sandwich fillings. Kids also love to crunch. Instead of potato chips, try celery sticks filled with peanut butter or cream cheese and bite-size chunks of raw veggies like carrots and cucumber with low-fat dip. Make a kid-friendly homemade granola out of dried fruits, nuts, and any favored non-sugary cereal. If sack lunches have gotten mundane (peanut butter and jelly again?), try thinking outside the lunchbox. Offer kids a BLT or tuna salad, or fill a whole-grain bagel, pita, or tortilla with their favorite sandwich fillings. Kids also love to crunch. Instead of potato chips, try celery sticks filled with peanut butter or cream cheese and bite-size chunks of raw veggies like carrots and cucumber with low-fat dip. Make a kid-friendly homemade granola out of dried fruits, nuts, and any favored non-sugary cereal.

For extra-picky eaters, experiment with some of their favorites by introducing a new food alongside one of their familiar standbys. Or, try offering the same food prepared in a different way. Soups, stews, pasta salad, and dinner leftovers make healthy and creative lunch options and fit perfectly in an insulated thermos. Often, kids who don’t like cooked vegetables will munch on raw ones, so rotate cut-up raw veggies like carrots, celery, broccoli, and squash, and include a container of their favorite dressing for dunking.

4.  Get the kids involved. Kids who have a say in the foods they eat are more likely to finish their meals and make healthier choices. And getting ‘em hooked on a nutritious diet at an early age will build lifelong healthy eating habits. Encourage your kids to help with shopping, menu planning, and preparing their lunches. Ask them what they like, and if it’s not healthy, brainstorm with them for healthy alternatives to their favorites. When my kids get bored with sandwiches, they ask for soup or leftover chili in a thermos, or a bean and cheese burrito, quickly assembled, cooked in the microwave, and wrapped in foil to stay hot until lunchtime—prepared while they’re eating breakfast!

5.  Mini is huge. Kids love any kind of food in small sizes and portions because it’s fun to eat and can be consumed quickly. Experiment with mini bagels filled with cheese, lean meats, or their favorite veggies and spreads. Popular mini foods include cubed cheese with whole-grain crackers, and mini muffins. Toss seedless grapes, strawberries, and cubed melon for a mini fruit bowl. Cut whole sandwiches in quarters or jazz them up by using cookie cutters to turn bread and cheese slices into their favorite shapes and characters.

6.  Personalize prepackaged foods. The prepackaged lunches and snacks at the grocery store are designed to appeal to kids, but they are pricey and often loaded with extra fat, calories, and sodium. Compromise by offering your kids an assortment of food and let them assemble and personalize meals by themselves; their choices can include things like multi-grain crackers, lean meats, cheeses, and an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. For a healthier version of a personal pizza, pack separately an English muffin, shredded cheese, and tomato sauce. Kids will like the control they have as they recreate their own version of the store brands at a lower cost and higher nutritional value.

7.  Handle with care. Pack school lunches in insulated lunch bags, which are sturdier than metal lunchboxes and paper bags and are better at maintaining temperature control. Be sure to include a freezer pack to keep perishable foods like meat and dairy from spoiling. Some lunch bags even come with separate compartments designed to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Use a thermos for hot foods like leftover spaghetti, soups, or even stir-fry. One final tip? Freeze your child’s water bottle and put it in their lunchbox in the morning. It will double as an ice pack and be thawed by lunchtime.

–by:  Suzy Buglewizc
 

Plan out what is truly needed vs. wanted by your student and make sure that past supplies are sorted through to see if you already have something that is on their list.  Then set a budget and make sure they know you are going to stick to it.  If they want something expensive, they are going to have to forgo some other things.

Warehouse stores have underwear and socks in bulk and clothes usually go on sale a few weeks after the initial back-to-school rush and so waiting a few weeks into the school year could get you more bank for your buck!

Shopping with the budget will help your children learn about money, comparison shopping and how to get bargains.

Children are soooo excited to begin the new school year and the moms might even be more excited!  But along with getting the little kiddies back to their schools, comes the stress of homework, scheduling, carpooling, etc.

Has your child been reading throughout the summer?  If so, they will have probably have a smoother reentry.  If they haven’t been reading, time to get started RIGHT NOW!  Start reading with or to them for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.

Time also for them to start getting to bed earlier to prepare them for the early risings.  Much easier and smoother reentries happen if the bedtime and wake up time that they will be having during the school year starts BEFORE they go back to school.

Having a regular bedtime will help the child get the recommended hours of sleep needed each night so that they will be able to stay awake in class the next day.

Start now to purchase what is needed for the upcoming school year.  Kids want to ‘fit in’ and sometimes that can be a huge drain on a tight budget, but you certainly want to make sure they have all the school supplies needed…i.e. paper, pencils, books, etc.  Many areas have facilities or groups that can help out with this if money is a concern such as churches, charitable organizations, etc.

Many children are nervous about starting a new grade or moving onto a completely different school.  Reassure them that they will do great and by you having confidence in them helps them to have confidence in themselves.

Q.My daughter is awakening at night and increasingly difficult to be with. I followed your suggestion and asked her what she would change about her life if she had a magic wand. She responded, “Going back to school.” I don’t understand. As I told her, “You have friends, your grades are good, so you have no reason to be nervous.” What else could I say?

A.Change is hard for children and for adults. In school there are a lot of unknown factors in the equation: What will the new teacher be like? Will he/she like me? Who will be in my classroom? Will it be different from last year, and if yes, how? The unknown is upsetting to adults; these are children with less experience upon which to draw for their answers.
I think it is dangerous to tell children how to feel or how not to feel: “You have no reason to feel nervous.” How do you know? Are you a wizard who sees all, knows all? No. Maybe there is a reason for the fear. It is best to honor a fear and move toward finding a solution.
Having a play date with children from your child’s school gives that child a bridge that is crossable – or, to say it plainly, someone she knows when she goes back to school.
If you know your child’s teacher(s), you could call the school and arrange a meeting before school starts.
One of the ways I talk about fears is to use the example of walking out onto a diving board. The first time you did that, it was plenty scary. You wobbled out to the end of the board and stood there wishing you had not gone there. Walking back was too frightening, so eventually you jumped into the water – only to find it was a fun thing to do.
Tell your daughter, “You are not on the diving board yet. There is still some summer fun left. Don’t get on the diving board until it is time. Then we will walk out onto the board, count together and jump into school on the day school starts.”
If your child could learn to live today, today and not run ahead worrying about tomorrow, he/she would know a skill you as parents might not know. Live one day at a time and see if that changes your priorities.
Some children are square pegs trying to fit in a round hole called school. Those children are experiencing fear as the beginning of school approaches (or as it is under way.) Have reasonable standards, create a homework place and see that homework is completed, and communicate with the teacher(s) to know your child’s progress. Many children drown in the first part of school. Keep a sharp eye on your child as school begins to be sure that he/she builds on success.
One more time, if your children have not started school yet, get them on the school schedule now! Start having school bedtimes. Decrease the amount of sugar they eat. Get them up at the same time you will be doing so when school starts. Get all their school supplies together and organized right now. Be sure they have appropriate school clothes and shoes.