Getting back on schedule:
Work on setting bedtimes / study times.
Setting clothes out the night before.
Getting lunch and snacks set up (funding cafeteria accounts / getting food ready at home).
Helping your kids manage their commitments:
Keep an eye on extracurriculars (sports, clubs and AP classes*).
Create and manage a family calendar to show the weeks / month at once and it needs to include study time.
Go over your child's schedule with them and help them keep it realistic. Manage disappointments if they will just be too busy and they did EVERYTHING they want.
Do not ignore problems:
Remember you have the best insight to your child, schools are not always aware of everything.
Be proactive for potential issues and talk to your childs school/teachers if you have concerns. It is better to say something sooner than later.
YOU are your child’s advocate.
Talk about changing friendships:
Talk to your kids about how relationships can change over the summer, sometimes your BFF last year might seem distant this year or even have new friends.
Being able to share friends and having friends that overlap is a skill that is important to learn.
Not all problems need fixing; many times kids just want parents to VALIDATE their feelings. So just listen.
Do not share YOUR anxieties:
Parents can get caught up in their kids social lives because they want them to make good friends, but kids do not always understand this interest.
Instead of asking ‘did you make any new friends’, try ‘how was your day ?’ or ‘name 3 good things that happened today’. Remember that for anxious kids making friends is hard enough already.
Talk about the good stuff:
Talk to your kids about things they have enjoyed in the past when going to school
Ask them what activities they have liked in the past or maybe who they missed over the summer
Talk about what they are looking forward to in this new school year, if they plan on some different activities or they want to try an new sport.
* AP CLASSES - The CEO of College Board David Coleman's call to ‘Stop the Madness’ and having colleges consider ONLY 5 AP scores for admissions decisions.
https://mytutor.com/blog/college-board-22-forum-updates-the-digital-sat-ap-class-updates/
