THE holidays are drawing to a close and it’s time to get organised for the new school year, but does the thought have your anxiety levels rising?
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Positive psychology coach Kate Wilkie from Flourishing Mothers said there was nothing to fear.
“Think about resetting the entire family’s eating and sleeping times at least a few days before school starts and it’s great to get your kids involved in the planning so that they understand what you’re trying to achieve,” she said.
Here’s seven tips to make the transition from holidays to school life in 2018.
1 Encourage your child’s natural strengths and talents
If you have a curious child, get them excited by telling them about all the things they will be learning this year. If you have a creative child, they might want to help cover their text books with colourful paper or write their name on their pencil case or lunch box.
2 Give them responsibility
Back to school is a great opportunity to give your kids some responsibility. If you let them do some things on their own they will feel more competent and confident which is great for their wellbeing. So have them choose their own stationery and encourage them to pack their own backpack. Helping kids become more independent is also great for the wellbeing of mums and dads.
3 Teach them the power of being organised
We all know how it feels running around the house the morning of first day of school, making lunch and packing. Avoid that frazzled feeling and teach your children the power of organisation by getting everything ready the night before. Together, make the lunch box, pack the backpack and make sure the school uniform is ironed and good to go for a relaxed start to the morning.
4 Plan ahead
Schedule time to shop for shoes and uniforms together at least one week before school start so you don’t leave it until the last minute. Sit down with the family wall-chart or diary and schedule in dates for shopping. Make scheduling fun. Planning together with your child will teach them that being proactive and organised is the best way to prepare for anything in life, and it gives them a sense of ownership and control.
5 Create a gratitude habit
Talking to your kids about what went well during the day is a great way to create and share positive emotions. Start with paying attention to the positives and it can help to put problems into perspective and discuss challenges more calmly.
6 Talk about concerns
Just as with adults, if your child’s fears go unexpressed, the fears can feed upon themselves and increase anxiety, so encourage your children to voice any worries they may have before school starts. Give your child the opportunity to talk about their fears and concerns about the new school year, and work with them to come up with solutions together.
7 Celebrate the change
A great way to reduce back to school stress and get your kid in a positive mindset, is to celebrate the new school year. Take your child out for their favourite meal, surprise them with colourful stationery, or take them to see that movie they’ve been wanting to see.
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