A smooth start to the new year!
21 August, 2018
Imagine for a second that tomorrow you start a new job. This involves a new boss, new colleagues, new expectations, several new functions and a new environment. If I told you that from tomorrow, you also have to get back to physical training, three times a week. To complete it all, you need to start a diet and plan your meals to make sure your diet is healthy and varied at all times! Let us agree that it is a major challenge to put everything forward at the same time. Wouldn't you feel stressed and a little overwhelmed? Wouldn't it be wiser to go one goal at a time? But that's how our children can feel when they start school! Suddenly, you have to go to bed and get up early, there is less room for the game, you have to hurry every morning, you have to have a quick supper, do the homework, take a bath and already the day is over! Not to mention everything that you also have to assimilate in school. The new teacher has his requirements and the way he works that must be adapted. In short, it's a lot for our little ones from the first week! Instead, I suggest you go gradually and start now!
First, make a list of the habits you would like your child to resume for back-to-school. Remember, your expectations must be clear and positively articulated. Here's my list, maybe it will inspire you!
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Get dressed as soon as you get up.
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Have breakfast in 30 minutes.
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Set the alarm clock at 6:30 a.m.
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Go to bed at 8:00.
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Do 30 minutes of reading or work in an activity book each evening (the goal is to gently prepare them for the homework and lessons period).
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Reduce screen time (TV, tablet, computer, etc.) to 30 minutes per day.
Every two days, ask your children to incorporate a new habit. Here, we use the "Small Missions of Children" section of the Les Belles Combines family planner. By doing things this way, you make sure you experience a smooth transition between the fun-filled summer holidays and letting go and the rigor of school life.
To encourage children to re-establish their good habits, get included in the challenge! It's a family challenge after all! So I invite you to go from "you" to "us." Rather than saying "you have to get dressed as soon as you get up" say to them instead "we have to dress as soon as we get up". In addition, plan a family reward as soon as all family members have resumed their good habits. A dinner at the restaurant, a movie night, a new board game that the whole family will play, etc.
Finally, a few days before the start of the school year, why not do a general practice to reassure the children (and yourself)! That is to say, pretend that it is the real start of the school year and we have to leave for school. They will definitely find the idea amusing and feel more ready for D-Day.