Ramp up for Back-to-School!

Back to school time is almost here! There is no need to panic. There is plenty of time left for some more fun in the sun. However, now is also a good time to start penciling in reminders and planning for the back-to-school ramp up, especially if you think the transition might be a rough one for your child.

Here are some resources that might be helpful:

BACK TO SCHOOL CALENDAR. Understood.org has a handy calendar that parents can reference for ideas about how to schedule in back-to-school activities in the weeks leading up to the start of school.

PARENT-CHILD BACK TO SCHOOL PEP TALKS. The idea of having to return to school after a couple months of leisure can be daunting for many kids and may bring up feelings of stress, anxiety, or frustration. Talking with your child about some of their thoughts and feelings about school can go a long way in helping to alleviate some of their concerns. John Piacentini, PhD, Director of UCLA’s Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support Center, has some helpful tips about how to broach this topic with your kids.

PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION. Effective communication between home and school can have a really positive impact on your child’s experience in school. The NYU Langone Health Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital Child Study Center has a free webinar (30 minutes, registration required) discussing the benefits, ins, outs, and hows of establishing productive lines of communication between you and your child’s teachers.