School bells will soon be ringing, and while that means no more sleeping in or spending lazy days at the pool, welcoming structure and routine back into family life helps get kids who are reluctant to return to school more motivated to go. With a positive attitude and a few back-to-school tips, even reluctant school-goers can start the school year off right; and getting off on the right foot paves the way for school success for the entire year.
When we look at our children, we see their possibilities and potential. We envision growth, learning, and success. Even if our kids are struggling right now, the future looks bright from a parent’s perspective. But kids don’t always see themselves through the same set of lenses.
Kids are not the only ones who suffer from the ‘summer slide.’ Parents have a difficult time thinking clearly at the end of the summer, too. The reason your brain feels like it’s still on vacation right before the school year begins is because you just spent two-and-a-half months recovering from the last school year. Then it’s usually during the hectic back-to-school phase when you struggle to remember all of the important priorities that seemed so clear right after school got out.
The school year is in full swing, and you’ve noticed that your child who was happy, relaxed, excited to begin school in September is now anxious and reluctant to engage in learning. Come to think of it, this is a pattern you’ve noticed them display for a few years now. Students who struggle with academics often display this pattern. Most of the time, the heart of the issue is a learning struggle. However, these avoidance behaviors can also be labelled as ‘laziness,’ which impacts self-confidence. Laziness does exist, but it’s important to understand that avoiding a school assignment is often due to a difficulty and/or an inability to complete it successfully.
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