During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to take a leave from the school system and spend a couple of years running a home-based preschool program with my two youngest children, and support my older daughter while she was working remotely. Throughout that time, I made many connections with alternative schooling moms, and thanks to social media, have had the opportunity to get a glimpse into so many beautiful indoor and outdoor home-based learning spaces.
“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon” is an old adage that, in some ways, applies to a school year.
Except in addition to a marathon, it’s also like a series of different sprints, hurdles, long jumps, biking, rugby, swimming and a multitude of other events – all happening simultaneously! A school year is about 185 days, and a lot happens during those days. How can parents help their kids get ready for what can be both an exciting and terrifying time of year, the back-to-school season?
The older kids get, the longer their school supplies can endure. An elementary school child may wear out most school supplies each year or exhaust them as part of the classes' shared supply. But a tween or teen can reuse many school supplies over and over throughout junior high and high school, and this is encouraging news for the planet. If we want kids to grow up green, we need to instill healthy shopping habits from a young age.
For kids of all ages, transitioning to a new school can be difficult. Whether it is your child’s first day of high school or you’re moving to a new school district, starting a new school can affect your child’s academic performance, social development, and mental state. But there are things you can do before and during your child’s switch to a new school to help them feel and become comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.
Although moving to a new school might feel like a disaster to your tw/een, starting at a new school can be a positive experience for them. However, that does not mean they will not struggle to adjust. Switching peer groups, adjusting to a new academic schedule, and leaving behind old friends can be hard for adolescents. And it is not just about social expectations - a new school can also cause challenges in academic and extracurricular areas. While many tw/eens thrive in a fresh start, immediately jumping into activities and making friends, others will not immediately succeed. Your tw/een may feel lost for a bit, both academically and socially.
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