Ah, the first few weeks of school. Backpacks are bursting with new books. Lunch boxes are filled with nutritionally sound lunches and healthy snacks. Moods are upbeat and bouncy. Kids head off to the bus or the car with a bit of optimism in their step. Everything is new! Subjects are fresh challenges, teachers are as-of-yet unknown, and the year is filled with the promise of positive potential.
School bells will soon ring once again. Whether that comes as music to your ears or a bittersweet reminder that the free-spirited summer days are over, check out these tips from the pros to help you and your children enjoy a smart, happy start to school.
In many ways, enrolling junior high kids have become old pros at the fine art of academia. They’ve had plenty of time to master homework, friendships, and scholastic benchmarks. Yet, just as they’ve reached academic and social proficiency, they’re about to embark on a very turbulent transition period of lightning-fast physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth. Although pre-adolescents don’t always show it with their words or actions, they need their parents’ love, involvement, and support every bit as much as they did in elementary school. Come Fall, they may face unique challenges that isolate them at a time when they need your increased reassurance. Here are just a few examples.
Teacher-student cooperation is an important alliance that starts at home and affects a child’s entire academic career. Having positive relationships with teachers throughout 12 years of school can make the difference between a child who adores school and all it encompasses and a child who dreads school and struggles on a daily basis. By the time school starts each Fall, teachers have already invested years of education, practice, and preparation into getting this school year off to a great start. Most parents want their children to succeed in school, but sometimes students and parents inadvertently get off on the wrong foot with teachers. How can parents encourage their kids to meet educational professionals halfway?
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