BACK TO SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILDREN? NO FEAR! - PARENTHOOD

8 tips to help our children return to school with enthusiasm and without fear

curated by Manuela Cervetti

We are almost there, in about 3 weeks the schools will start again after exactly 3 months of holidays. We parents, let's admit it, will arrive in September a bit worn out by this long summer break dedicated to fitting together work and summer camps, holidays with a dropper and holidays with grandparents, workshops and trips with the oratory in the hope of making the summer of the our children and to take our breath away too, if possible.

And how will our children get to the first day of school? Excited or melancholy about the holidays over? With the desire to start a new school year or with anxiety about what awaits them?

1. One step at a time!

The first fundamental thing to remember is that after 3 months of extended hours, no rush or too early alarms, a little gradualness is needed to get used to the rigid rhythms imposed by the school. A few days before it starts, we try to gradually readjust our children's daily schedules and rhythms to make sure that the alarm on the first day of school is as less traumatic as possible.

2. Enthusiasm is contagious!

If we are the first to show ourselves dejected and heartbroken by the end of the holidays, our children will inevitably not jump for joy. Let us help them experience the resumption of school with enthusiasm, let us see ourselves happy and excited for the start of a new adventure.

3. Let's unleash their curiosity

We know that children are super curious and so let's take advantage of this feature to make them curious about the many news they will learn and discover in the next school year. There are those who will learn to read for the first time, those who will study the much loved and kept dinosaurs, those who will discover geometry and multiplication tables. Isn't all this thrilled?

4. We listen to their fears

Despite many efforts, our children may feel the same fear or anxiety about starting school. Particularly sensitive children may even have some bad dreams and express impatience and fears for the new school year upon us. The golden rule is to talk about them together, listen to their fears and explain to them that they are absolutely normal and that indeed, we often feel them too.

5. Let's go shopping

I remember that as a child I waited for the first days of September with emotion because I would finally go to choose the materials necessary for starting school: notebooks, pens, pencil case, diary. Shopping is said to be therapeutic, even for children!

6. She hasn't finished her homework yet

This could be a real cause for anxiety for a child who finds himself a few days after starting school without having completed his holiday homework. Let's not get angry and let's not add anxiety to hers. In this post you will find 13 strategems to help our children carry out their holiday tasks, let's arm ourselves with patience and give them a hand.

7. Let's choose the extra-curricular activities together

Starting a new school year also implies starting sports or extracurricular activities which in most cases are a source of fun and entertainment for the child. We try not to impose our preferences, we leave to our children - as far as possible - the possibility to choose which sport to practice or which course to follow. Choosing them together could also be a way to make them want to go back to school.

8. We end the holidays with a bang!

In the last few days of vacation we organize something really special to do with our children: a trip to an amusement park, a lunch in their favorite place, a visit to the EXPO if the distance allows it, an evening at the cinema. It will be a pleasant and fun way to end the holidays in style, all together!

Happy back to school everyone!

See also:
Snack for the little ones: the most common mistakes and those to avoid. Here's how to make the right choice!
Small at home? Here are 10 things to do to make a home truly child-friendly