Preparing your kids for new school term

It has been a period of high activities for many children, lots of food, drinks, presents, laughter and more. They had attended countless parties, played with bouncy castles and visited Santa. The transition from these moments needs caution to achieve desired result.

A director at Le Poshe School in Ikoyi, Lagos, RonkePosh Adeniyi, noted that for some children, sadly, the reverse is the case because it is also a time when verbal, physical, and sexual abuse thrive.

“It is important that parents have those critical conversations with their children using child friendly approaches because many kids are not keen on lectures. As children return to school, parents should ensure that there are set goals for the next quarter. The goals must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.)

She also urged parents to support their children in settling back to school by knowing how the kids feel about returning to school. “Some have fears which should be addressed. Some children are returning to bullies and environments that are toxic to their growth and development.”

Ensure that you connect, listen and be empathetic to the plight of your children. When parents pay close attention to their children, they are most likely to understand when something is likely to go wrong. School resumption is not an opportunity to transfer responsibilities to the teachers; they should only amplify what your kids should know.

It is also important to review goals so they are easy to achieve. Your child could have had goals for the New Year, which should be guided by the help from parents. It’s time to determine which of the goals comes first and streamline them to suit the children’s itinerary with the school term. Remember that you don’t have to chase them all, so focus on those that are practicable and easy to pursue. This will help your child focus on what is most important – school activities.

COVID-19 is still very much around and parents should ensure they continually harp on hand washing, social distancing and the use of nose masks when necessary. As much as schools should ensure safety of the pupils, parents should also ensure that their children are protected.

Put together a checklist of activities, tasks and items they will require to return to school. They include going to bed earlier, consuming less sugar, purchase of some gadgets and uniforms.

In the first week of resumption, ensure that you are not late to pick up your kids from school. This will reduce anxiety and panic in your child who has spent most of the holidays with you. This will further boost your child’s confidence and make him comfortable in the new term.