When the kids go back to school, the weeks before can be complete chaos. You are trying to make sure they have all the school supplies they need. You have probably exhausted the whole family with the shopping for school clothes. And you still aren't sure if you have done everything you need to. I have found that making a back to school checklist helps me to keep focused and get things done so that we can all sleep well the night before school starts.
Call your doctor. Even if you think your child has everything they need to go back to school, give your doctor a quick call to find out about any vaccinations your child needs. Some schools will not let children attend if they have not been properly vaccinated.
Look to the eye doctor. Now would be a good time to take your children to get their eyes checked. Children who start school with vision problems might leave the wrong impression with the teacher who may not realize your child is struggling to see. If your child needs glasses, you might want to get them a couple of weeks before school starts so they have a chance to get used to them and develop a comfort level wearing them.
Go over the curriculum. You can better prepare your child for classes if they know what they are going to be learning about. Try to approach your child with this information by relating it to something he or she is already interested in. This will help create a positive outlook rather than a feeling of dread.
Set up a study area and schedule. Make sure your child has what they need to study. Rather than telling them what they are going to do, ask them how they prefer to study. You can set the hours, but you might want to allow your child to have an opinion about the hours as well. I always preferred to get all my school work done before I did anything else, and so does my son. My sister could never concentrate immediately after school and always did her homework at night. Remember, it's not about what study habits work for you. It's about the study habits that work well for your children.
Don't forget to sign up. Don't be that parent that shows up the first day of school with the embarrassed child trying to get signed up for school. This sets a precedent in the mind of the child and the school.
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Source: Personal Experience
