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Getting your child up and ready for school is not an easy task! Well, to be honest, we too had given a similarly tough time to our parents, right? Whether your child is going to school for the first time or rejoining after summer vacation, the perils are more or less the same. The whole exercise of pulling them out of their warm, cozy beds in the chill of the morning is a Herculean task in itself. And, a lot of parents put themselves in the line of fire (read: tantrums) not knowing how exactly to handle the situation. Scolding, shouting, or even pleading doesn’t help much. But don’t worry. Like you, most parents are in the same boat. With some amount of advance planning, you can tide through this situation. Here’s what you can do:
Let Them Know The ‘Inevitable’ Well In Advance
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Give your children enough time to prepare themselves mentally for what’s coming up. You need not give the exact date, but let your kid know about the change well in advance – a month, to be more precise. Begin with subtle hints, like giving up playtime in the afternoons, and then go on to more specific ones like dedicating time for studies.
Set Up School-Friendly Sleep Routines
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One of the biggest challenges of sending children to school is waking them up on time! Your kids need an adequate amount of sleep, which is at least 8-9 hours for their age (1). Children usually throw all precautions to the wind at the start of summer vacations, with late mornings being the norm. But gradually get them back to ‘early-to-bed, early-to-rise’ routine. Kids easily emulate adults, so make sure you too practice what you preach unless late nights are absolutely necessary.
Go School-Stuff Shopping
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It’s important to create an interest in your kids about going to school rather than dread. And one sure-shot way to do so is by taking your kids shopping while buying school stuff. Kids love when you buy them new stuff irrespective of the purpose. So, go ahead and buy those colorful bags, tiffin boxes, water bottles along with the uniforms and school shoes.
Introduce New Tiffin Cuisines
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We all love tiffin breaks, don’t we? So do kids. Make use of summer vacations to come up with fast and easy tiffin recipes. Serve each of them to your kids on a trial basis and note which of them they like the most. This way, your kids will be super excited to have a go at these yummy recipes in their tiffins.
Spend Some “Away” Time
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A lot of kids, especially toddlers are very closely attached to either of the parent or both. And one thing they’ll dread the most about going to school is living in an environment without their parents around. Thus, it is prudent to accustom your children to your absence a little at a time. Start by dropping your child at a friend’s or relative’s place for a few minutes up to an hour. You can also let them go over to your neighbor’s house each day for a few play dates.
Do Not Plan Outings/Tours Close To School Opening Day
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Vacations are a time of enjoyment and entertainment for kids. But, if you plan such fun times very close to the days before joining the school, it is going to completely spoil their moods. This, in turn, will prove difficult for you when you are convincing them why going to school is a fun idea. On the contrary, if you can, make those days a little more routine and monotonous so your kids will actually feel motivated to get out and go to school. The idea of meeting old friends and make new ones will then definitely appeal to them.
So, these were some of the tricks and tips to get your kids to go all happy and hopping to school. Have you too tried some of your own hacks? If yes, please do share with us in the comments below and help fellow parents out!
