MOMS SPEAK
School Planning Tips
for Parents
W BY WF STAFF
e asked our readers to share their
tips on how they are preparing
themselves for the new school year.

Check out what they had to say for some back-
to-school time inspiration!
“This mom
and teacher is
starting to go to
bed earlier and
get up earlier.

No more sleeping
in and staying
up late!”
— LISA B.

“I would say I’m working on time for self-care
and self-love. If I am able to get the rest I need,
then I can be prepared for the days to come and
be able to get the kids ready and off to school on
time.” —Evelyn L.

“I homeschool one 10-year-old girl. We plan
out our day schedule for school and mate-
rials to be used. Personally, I have flexi-
bility in my schedule to teach piano, take
care of our home and work a part-time job
if needed as long as I can take my daughter
with me.” —Amanda Q.

“I set up a calendar for the new school year with
our family’s weekly schedules so that we stay on
track.” —Stephanie M.

“I am cutting back on some networking meet-
ings for my business in order to get ready for
back-to-school time.” —Julie B.

“This mom and teacher is starting to go to bed
earlier and get up earlier. No more sleeping in
and staying up late!” —Lisa B.

“This single working mom of three prepares
everything the night before including setting out
clothes and lunches. I also review my calendar
and emails.” —Jennifer H.

“This isn’t necessarily just for back to school,
but some friends and I get together for a massive
cooking day and make a whole bunch of freezer
meals to get us through the back-to-school cra-
ziness without having to resort to takeout too
much. We’ll prep dinner, things like burritos to
throw in lunch bags, and I’m hoping to do break-
fasts this time around as well. We call it ‘Zebra
Day.’ We compare ourselves to the lionesses
banding together to bring down a zebra so that
our cubs can eat!” —Helen W.

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“I’m hoping to get back on a regular sleep
schedule so that I’m energized for the week and
able to take my kids to football practice, dance
classes, etc.” —Katie S.

Washington FAMILY SEPTEMBER 2019
An Expert’s Advice
Child psychiatrist Vinay Saranga M.D. shares
these five essential tips below for helping families
transition into the new school year seamlessly.

Ask your young kids how they are feeling:
For children going to school for the first time or
those starting at a new school, the transition can
be difficult and filled with anxiety. Sometimes
kids won’t express their emotions so as parents,
you need to ask them what they are feeling. Help
them feel reassured and know that having mixed
emotions of happiness, fear and even confusion
are all normal and that many of the other kids
are feeling that way, too.

Help your kids get (and stay) excited
about school: Kids will model the behavior of
their parents. When you talk about school, be
upbeat and excited about it. Share some of the
better memories you have from your school days
or funny stories that portray school as a positive
experience. Be real with your kids and let them
know you were nervous in the beginning, but
talk about all the good things like making new
friends, learning to read and more.

Find the right balance of goals for the
new school year: Parents should work with
their kids to set goals for the new school year.

Make sure you help your kids set realistic goals
that are on their learning level. Straight A’s, for
example, is a great goal to have, but it might be
unrealistic for some kids. If the goal is too far
out of reach, your child will feel overwhelmed
and defeated. If it’s too easy, he or she will
become bored.

Teach your kids age appropriate real-
ities: As your children get a little older and
further along in school, they’re going to have
to learn some lessons about life. As parents,
you can help make the transition easier for
your children by sharing advice around some of
these topics such as bullying and being teased,
life not always being fair, the importance of
sharing, saying no to drugs, learning from their
failures, helping others, inclusion and equality,
how to get along with difficult people, letting
their voice be heard and more.

Give your kids something to look forward
to: Like adults, children need something to look
forward to. It helps keep them motivated. Plan
a trip or something fun for winter break, spring
break or next summer. When they are feel-
ing down, remind them that this next big great
adventure is right around the corner. ■