The time to get back into a school routine is now
By Bernadette Suski-Harding, Special Writer
Go ahead, admit it.
When the last school bell sounded in June, you were as excited as your kid.
No more papers to sign, or backpacks and teacher folders to empty!
No more bedtime battles to wage or running out the door to catch the school bus before it pulls away!
With the lazy days of summer came the chance to let your kids be kids, stay up later than normal, sleep in, watch TV, and generally do things with a little less structure.
Now, the start of a new school year looms and with it, another dreaded S-word: schedules. Class schedules. Sports schedules. Extracurricular activity schedules.
To help you and your kids acclimate, we asked local experts for suggestions on how to most wisely use the remaining weeks of summer. Here’s what they had to say:
* Start now! “I think that you have to start planning for the start of school a few weeks before it actually comes,” said Dr. Leslie Greenberg of Princeton Nassau Pediatrics. “For instance, I often remind the older patients I see who have fallen into terrible sleeping patterns that it isn’t a great idea to try and get back to your old schedule right before school starts. I think that the transition is so much easier when you adjust your schedule little by little over a longer time.
* Get back into a school mindset. “I do hear some complaints from parents about the push to get things done at the end of the year, and I’m sure that they are tired of constantly reminding their kids to do all of that work. But, if you don’t work on getting back into the school mindset, you might end up in the same place, since I feel that most teachers expect the students to be ready to work,” Dr. Greenberg added.
* Embrace a routine. “At least two weeks before school starts, begin to get your kids into the school routine,” said Stacy Matticoli, a certified organization specialist who owns Put It There in Skillman. “Go to bed on time, set the alarm to get up, etc. We all tend to let the regular bed time slide in the summer, and allow for some extra time in front of the TV. The more time and effort you spend getting your kids into the school routine prior to the official start, the better it will be for the whole family.”
* Scale back the electronics. “Focus on the value of everyday life lessons and conversations with your child. Put away the electronic devices and look each other in the eye. Also, look around! There is beauty in the summer season just about everywhere we look. Reading for pleasure is one of the greatest things you can model for your child,” said Dineen Gruchacz, principal of Community Park School in Princeton.
* Finish summer assignments. “Often schools assign summer work so the students are prepared to re-enter the school atmosphere,” said Dr. Christine Abrahams, director of guidance, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. “Parents can make sure that students are completing their summer work (usually sometime in August). They can also begin the annual ritual of buying school supplies together and getting notebooks organized.”
* Exercise their brains. To get kids back into the routine of school work, exercise their brains by “having them do a few pages from an age-appropriate workbook,” said Ms. Matticoli.
Take time to pay tribute to summer
If your child is reluctant to say goodbye to summer, create a journal or memory book using pictures and words to help them relive special moments – and assure they won’t be forgotten.
”This provides children with the opportunity to revisit them in the future,” said Mrs. Gruchacz. “At the same time, children learn to think, prioritize, organize and elaborate on events that they themselves have experienced.”
The memory books can be as simple or elaborate as needed, from “a simple collage of words and pictures to a rich, reflective narrative, depending upon the individual child,” Mrs. Gruchacz said. “Use photos you have taken or have them draw things as they saw them through their own eyes.”
If you think it will help, you might also help your child select a journal or scrapbook for the school year ahead.
”For some children, journaling can become a part of their life that is enriching and satisfying,” Mrs. Gruchacz said.