- Don’t freak your kids out. Don’t over talk school. Don’t cry in front of them. Don’t spill your worries to other parents in earshot of your children. You need to be their rock. Be a rock!
- Short and sweet. Don’t hang around the classroom. Don’t try to talk to the teacher. Make drop off short and sweet. The teachers need to take over and earn authority/respect with child. The school will call if your child throws up/wets his pants…(really – I know this).
- Pack a really good lunch. Your kids will be using more energy – emotional and physical for the start of school. Pack a really good lunch for them – (an assortment of crunchy: fish crackers, soft: applesauce, colourful: dry fruit loops, comforting: sandwich and quenching: water).
- Let your kids wind down after school. If they want to talk – give them your full attention. If they want to chill out – let them watch tv to de-stress.
- Ask prodding questions. “How was your day?” doesn’t always get to the heart of the day. Try questions like “What were your 3 favourite things?”, “Who got in trouble?”, “Who got hurt?” (ok – the last two seem strange – but you’d be surprised how kids want to spill the beans about others)
I have a questions…or maybe more of a reader poll…how long is recess at your kids school? Mine is only 10 minutes! Man after getting on your snow stuff and finding your way out of the building and then doing all that the other way around how much time "outside" do my kids really get??Just wondering if it is that short everywhere these days…
I know lunch is 1 1/2 hours (1/2 hour to eat and an hour outside).10 minute recess seems really short.
Oh my God… I never even thought about the fact that my son might actually wet his pants if he is scared or doesn't ask to go to the bathroom in time! Oh dear… add something else to the list of worry! I love the questions you suggested we ask… that's a great way to get them talking!
The school where I teach has a 15 minute morning recess and a 10 minute afternoon recess. The school my children attend has a 15 minute recess both in the morning and afternoon. 10 minutes does seem short, but morning start times, length of lunch break and dismissal times all have to be considered. Many teachers try their best to have students ready to go out the school doors as soon as the bell rings, so that usually means getting ready for recess 5-10 minutes before it begins. Have you joined in on the school parent council meetings where you could share your opinion and very possibly create change?
Thanks for the comments, lunch at my sons school is only 55 minutes and they get out at 3:15 – the day to me seems really short…As for wetting their pants if they don't ask to go in time…even if they ask in time they can have accidents if they aren't allowed to go since other students are in the bathroom at the time and they are not allowed to go until those kids come back…