Leave the TV on for just a few minutes in August and it's easy to get the impression that getting ready for back to school is all about a trip to the mall. But there are even more important things than new binders and shoes. Here are some of the other things parents can be thinking about as the end of summer vacation nears:
Adjust Sleep Schedules
Staying up late and sleeping in may work for June and July, but come mid-August it's time for students to start going to bed a bit earlier each night so that first week of early morning wake-ups won't come as a shock. Of course, it's important to keep up with getting enough sleep all year, which may need some continued parental guidance. With that in mind...Reassess the Bedroom
If a student's bedroom is outfitted with their computer, television, video games and other entertainment, going to bed won't necessarily mean going to sleep. Either rearrange things so those items aren't in the bedroom, or set clear rules about lights out and stick to them. If the bedroom is also a student's study space, then those distractions can become a problem when it's time to complete homework.- A computer in a child's bedroom means they are able to use it without supervision, which can be very dangerous. For tips, read Christy Matte's useful article Keeping Kids Safe Online - A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety on About.com Family Computing.
Plan for Breakfast and Lunch
I know, I know - if you're in a family where all of the adults are working, trying to get dinner on the table when you get home is hard enough. But kids who go to school without eating a good breakfast or who don't have a balanced lunch can have a terrible time trying to focus. Pre-packaged lunches and fast food or convenience store meals are not an unhealthy solution, but they can get expensive fast! Spend the last few weeks of summer deciding on quick meal ideas with your kids and working out what needs to be on the shopping list each week to make sure they can happen.- Want some new food ideas? Stephanie Gallaghers' Cooking for Kids site on About.com is a great place to start.
Review Last Year's Work
The summer is a long time to go between classes, but students are really expected to take off running come September. Casual discussions and structured reviews are both good ways for students to remind themselves of everything they learned in the preceding grade.Get to Know This Year's Curriculum
If you know what your child is going to be studying in the coming year, you can take that into consideration when you're making decisions about family activities ranging from magazine subscriptions and movie rentals to planning vacations. It also helps to familiarize yourself with the curriculum to jog your own memory. How long has it been since you read up on photosynthesis or the development of Upper Canada?- The Ontario Ministry of Education provides curriculum documents online. Visit the Parents section of the Ministry of Education website and click on "What is my child learning?" to find all the information. Be warned, the documents are dense, but you don't have to read about the whole school year in one sitting. Bookmark the page and keep coming back to it throughout the year.
