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More Than School Supplies: Five Ways to Get Ready for a Successful School Year
Getting all the school supplies is an important part of getting ready for school, but so is having a positive mindset and being prepared to take on the challenges of a new year. Here are 5 ways to get ready for a successful school year:
1. Help your child have a growth mindset. This means to let him or her know that failure is an opportunity to learn. Teach your children that the brain can grow, and effort is required to build new skills. Help your child to embrace challenges and celebrate other’s successes. All these things will help your child know that we are all learners, and it is ok not to get something right the first time.
2. Start the day with affirmations. This could be as simple as teaching your child to say, “I can learn anything. I am a good friend. I am capable of great things. I am loved, I am kind. I am a problem solver, and I learn from my mistakes.” These statements could be placed on the bathroom mirror on sticky notes, in lunch boxes, or on a poster to let the child know, “ I am lovable and capable.” As your child walks out the door, you can say, “Today is a new day to learn something new.”
3. Establish a daily routine including picking out clothes, washing your face, brushing your hair and teeth, having a dedicated place for the backpack, and a set time needed to be out the door. I always found the outfit picked out the night before worked better for my kids.
4. Give your child 2 or 3 choices of breakfast. We all know the value of having a nutritious breakfast to start the day, and if the child is given a choice of breakfast, it can help him or her on the road to independence. Dedicate an easily accessible area so the child can do this independently. Setting a timer might help those children who tend to dawdle during breakfast.
5. Check in with your child about starting school. Are they nervous? Do they need to see the school beforehand? How can you help your child alleviate the anxiety they might be feeling? Talking about school is a great way to support mental health. “ Don’t just say, “How was your day? “Try saying things like, “ Did you see anyone be a friend to someone who needed it? Were you a friend to someone? Did you help someone? If your day was the weather, what would it be? ( sunny, rainy, stormy, partly cloudy, etc)
Getting the right mindset is just as important, if not more than having the right school supplies. I recently saw a sign stating, “Don’t just teach kids how to count. Teach them what counts most.” Kindness, faith, gratitude, resilience, courage, effort, a growth mindset, integrity, politeness and generosity; these things will enable your child to have a great school year!
