By Joanne Baskin, Manager, School Services

If you are humming this familiar Bureau En Gros (Staples) commercial jingle, you have already been inundated with countless marketing messages around back to school specials. Apart from the tuition/school fees, books and uniforms, parents are preached to as to what school supplies, clothing, backpacks, lunch bags and locker organizers their children need to be supplied with. In an age of consumerism, parents can be overwhelmed by the marketing messages which only mask the real emotions both parents and students may feel in the anticipation of the start of a new school year.

From a parent’s perspective, some of the common anxieties are:

• Will my child like his/her teachers?
• Will my child make new friends?
• Will he/she be bullied?
• Will my child be able to keep up with the academic requirements?
• Will I be able to find the right resources to support my child if more help is required?
• Will my child be happy?

From a student’s perspective, some of the common anxieties are:
• Will I like my teacher?
• Will my peers like me?
• Will I look stupid?
• Will I be bullied?
• Will I be able to keep up?
• Will my parents be happy with me?

At first glance, the list appears to be the same. However, depending on the parent, and depending on the student, the order of preoccupation may differ. It is important to recognize that each family has its own set of circumstances which will support or challenge these worries. It is also important to establish communication weeks before school starts to address the above concerns, if any, in ways which provide both reassurance and strategies in how best to meet them if they arise.

Here are some suggestions around easing the transition back to school:

1. Start Early. Get things out of the way before school starts so as not to interfere with the early weeks of routines becoming established. Meeting medical appointments, shopping for required supplies and doing a run through of the morning wake up routine are some ways of getting a head start. If your child walks to school, practice and time the route.
2. Reset the body clock. Late bedtimes and late wake-ups are common in the summer. Begin a couple of weeks before to get the times closer to school schedules incrementally and less adjustment once the alarm rings.
3. Plan Social Activities. Stephanie Dolgoff of parenting Magazine suggests the following:
“Find out before his first day if his friends are going to be in his class, and if they’re not, prepare him for that by talking over whom he can eat lunch with and making plans for after school. See if you can have a late-summer playdate to reconnect him with some of the kids he likes, or even arrange to have breakfast on the first day of school with his best friend and his best friend’s mom. The more he knows about what’s coming up, the better he’ll feel.”
4. Try to Project Needs. If you or your child is worried about academic performance, re-establish ties with available resources through your school or past tutors. Contact your child’s teacher and school counsellor for further resources once school begins.
5. Air Your Concerns Together. Create a safe space where your child can vent or reveal any concerns or fears. Listen, remain positive and encourage your child to come up with strategies or solutions. Remind them you are there for them and who else in the school is available for them as well.
Finally, remind your child about his/her own ability to cope and use past examples to reinforce that message. Learning new things and making new friends are great reasons to sing, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

To learn more about how Ometz can help your familiy meet life’s challenges , please contact us at 514-342-0000 or visit www.ometz.ca