Posted by
Keimarlis
Well, summer is finally over and we all know what that means...back to school again. For some of us this is a happy time when we get the chance to pry the kids away from the television sets and the video games (at least for a portion of the day) that they have devoted all their time to over the summer break. After all, it’s for their good, right? Seriously though, this time of the year is very important, the kids are excited because they get to showcase all their new wears and gears and get to share summer stories with their new and old friends. My son who is four is excited about seeing his former teachers. He told his mom and me that he misses them the most. I'm sure that all teachers would love to know that their students missed them in a similar way.
What I really want to talk about is the importance of preparing our children mentally and emotionally for school and the school year ahead. The initial excitement that they have will quickly fade when all the summer stories have been shared and they get back into the swing of doing school work and other activites. School can be exhausting, especially after a long break filled with fun and relaxation. Now its time to get back to the routine; getting up earlier than usual so that they can get prepared to get to school on time, having several different activities and lessons for the day, doing assignments, having limited play time and having scheduled bedtimes. Keeping this routine can become frustrating to both children and parents and sometimes results in a strained relationship. Plato once said, "Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each."
As hard as it may be, we need to ensure that we spend time with them on a regular basis, helping them with assignments, playing with them and following up on the things that they deem important. There is so much that our kids go through in a day and they feel good knowing that their concerns, problems and adventures are important to us. We must ensure that we do not allow our children to be raised by their friends and their peers but by us; their moms and dads or guardians in some cases. Kids are very smart, they know when something is important to us, they hear it in our voices, they see it on our faces and they see it in our behavior. Let us show them that as they journey through school, we are with them every step of the way providing all the support they want and need.
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2 comments:
As a non-parent I don't think about such things - but if more parents gave thought to their child's challenges and emotional state going into and during school we might all be better off.
I think this is valuable stuff that needs serious consideration by parents everywhere.
This is sooo true...i really do hope that me and fabian can be real good parents like you and leith someday.Cuz there is always more to learn.Its such a joy be auntie to kai and jay...
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