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Spend time talking with your child about school.
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Practice separating for hours at a time.
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Read stories about the first day of school to your child.
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Plan a back-to-school shopping expedition.
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Buy or gather supplies your preschooler will likely need to bring to school.
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Buy supplies your preschooler will likely need to use at home:
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Put your child's name on her supplies, lunchbox, mat, blanket, pillow, and inside clothing.
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Teach your child important safety information and make sure she commits it to memory.
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Preschool--one week before school:
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Whether your child will walk, ride the bus, or be driven to school, take a "dry run" of the route with your child.
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If your child will be taking the bus to school, do a practice walk to the bus stop.
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Attend an open house or get-acquainted day at school, if there is one, with your child.
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If there's no open house, schedule an appointment to take a tour of the school building with your child.
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Put your child to bed earlier each night until she's turning in at an appropriate school-night bedtime.
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Get your child used to waking up in the morning at a school-day appropriate time.
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Spend the last day or two before school starts at home with your child.
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Preschool--the night before school starts:
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Pick out school clothes for the morning.
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Tuck in your child at an appropriate school-night hour.
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Before your child goes to sleep, listen carefully to her fears and respond.
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Read a bedtime, back-to-school storybook to your child.
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Pack stay-at-school cubby supplies in a bag that can also stay at school.
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Pack your child's lunch for the next day and refrigerate it.
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Gather in one place everything that's going to school with your child in the morning.
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Preschool--the morning school starts:
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Take care of any last-minute tasks.
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Even if you can't do so every day, try to bring your child to school personally on the first day and say goodbyes there.
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Let your child get used to the environment before you leave.
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Primary school--several months before school:
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For a child, entering elementary school means entering the academic world for the first time. This brings with it a whole new set of anxieties and preparations.
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Speak to the principal in the spring or summer before school starts about what your child is expected to know by the time she enters kindergarten or first grade.
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Help her get up to speed so she can keep up academically with the rest of her class.
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If your child has any special needs, notify the school and confirm that acceptable accommodations can be made.
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Primary school--one month to one week before school:
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Try on last-year's school clothes to see what still fits.
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Go shopping for those items that have to be replaced.
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If you'll be buying a school uniform, find out from your school whether any local retailers are offering special deals. If so, you may be able to get a new uniform for your child at a discount.
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Stock up on supplies your child will need to bring to school.
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Let your child select her own lunchbox, backpack, and outfit for the first day of school.
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Stock up on supplies your child will need to have on hand at home.
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If you have a home computer, make sure it is ready to be used for schoolwork.
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Schedule an appointment with your child's pediatrician for a physical exam, if needed.
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Bring the school's medical form with you to your child's doctor appointment so it can be filled out.
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Make arrangements for after-school activities or childcare.
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If you plan to participate in any carpools, start organizing them now.
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Spend time listening to your child's concerns about going back to school.
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Sew name tags or write your child's name in indelible ink on clothing she's likely to take off during the day and small items like headbands, hats, and mittens.
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Primary school--one week before school:
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Read through and review school regulations with your child.
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Make sure all school forms have been completed and returned to school.
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Take your child to check out her classroom and say hello to the teacher.
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Attend an open house or "get acquainted" school event with your child, if there is one.
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Help your child become familiar with the route to and from school.
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Start moving bedtime back until your child is turning in at an appropriate school-night hour.
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Primary school--the night before school starts:
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Designate a place in the house for school paperwork.
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Check your child's backpack to be sure she has everything she needs.
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Go over after-school plans with your child.
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Help your child pick out clothes for the next day.
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Start the bedtime routine a bit early so your child is sure to get plenty of sleep.
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Spend some tuck-in time talking with your child about school.
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Pack lunch for your child and refrigerate it until morning.
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Primary school--the morning school starts:
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Encourage your child to start getting her morning act together on her own.
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Take care of any last minute tasks.
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Remind your child of her after-school plans.
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Even if you can't do it every day, if possible, take your child to the bus stop or to school on the first day.
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Say a cheerful goodbye and leave promptly when the bus comes or bell rings.
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Primary school--after the first day of school:
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Prepare a snack for your child, and one for yourself.
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Get your child to talk about her first-day impressions.
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Call the school immediately if you have any questions or concerns.
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Ask for--and read--any notices that were sent home.
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Purchase whatever additional school supplies and materials are required.
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Make a special dinner.
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Middle and high school--one month before school:
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Be ready to grant your adolescent some new privileges.
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Allowing your child to do her own back-to-school shopping is a good way to show her you trust her judgment.
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Take the initiative to start back-to-school preparations.
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| |
Encourage your child to try on last-year's school clothes and see what still fits.
|
| |
Go shopping, together if needed, for those wardrobe items that have to be replaced or updated.
|
| |
If your child will need a school uniform, find out from your school whether any local retailers are offering special deals. If so, you may be able to enjoy a discount.
|
| |
Encourage your child to shop for school supplies on her own.
|
| |
If you have a home computer, make sure it is ready to be used for schoolwork.
|
| |
Schedule an appointment with your child's doctor for a physical exam, if needed.
|
| |
Bring the school's medical form with to your child's doctor appointment so it can be filled out.
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Talk with your child about after-school activities she'd like to participate in and make the necessary arrangements.
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If you plan to participate in any carpools, start organizing them now.
|
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Try to take your child to school ahead of time.
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| |
If your child has any special needs, notify the school and confirm that acceptable accommodations can be made.
|
|
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Middle through high school--one week before school:
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| |
Address any concerns your child may have about going back to school.
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| |
Familiarize your child with her new school-year schedule.
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| |
Read through and review school regulations with your child.
|
| |
Make sure that all school forms have been completed and returned to school.
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|
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Middle and high school--the night before school starts:
|
| |
Remind your child to pack her book bag.
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| |
Designate a place in the house for school paperwork.
|
| |
Spend some time talking with your child about school.
|
| |
Try to get your child to bed at a reasonable hour.
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| |
If your child lets you, pack her lunch or snack.
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Middle and high school--the morning school starts:
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| |
Make sure your child wakes up in time for school.
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| |
Prepare a special breakfast.
|
| |
Go over after-school plans.
|
| |
Let your child know where you'll be all day and how to reach you.
|
| |
Say a cheerful, confident goodbye.
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Middle through high school--after the first day of school:
|
| |
Try to be there when your child arrives home from school the first day.
|
| |
Prepare a snack for your child, and one for yourself.
|
| |
Get your child to talk about her first-day impressions.
|
| |
Call the school immediately if you have any questions or concerns.
|
| |
Ask for--and read--any notices that were sent home.
|
| |
Purchase whatever additional school supplies and materials are required.
|
| |
Make a special dinner.
|
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Back-to-school resources for parents:
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"A+ Parents: Help Your Child Learn and Succeed in School" by Adrienne Mack (McBooks Press)
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"Off to a Good Start: Launching the School Year" from The Responsive Classroom Series, #1 (Northeast Foundation for Children)
|
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"Smart Parenting: An Easy Approach to Raising Happy, Well-Adjusted Kids" by Dr. Peter Favaro (NTC/Contemporary Publishing)
|
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"Smart Start: The Parents' Complete Guide to Preschool Education" by Marian Edelman Borden (Facts on File)
|
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"Adolescents' Worlds: Negotiating Family, Peers, and School" by Patricia Phelan, Ann Locke Davidson, Hanh Cao Yu (Teachers College Press)
|
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"Helping Your Child Start School: A Practical Guide for Parents" by Bernard Ryan, Jr. (Replica Books)
|
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"Kids Who Start Ahead, Stay Ahead: What Actually Happens When Your Home Taught Early Learner Goes to School" by Dr. Harvey Neil with introduction by Glenn Doman (Avery)
|
|
"Helping Your Child Get Ready for School" on the U.S. Dept. of Education's Web site
|
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"Your Child?s First Day at School" from MetLife Online
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Back-to-school books for preschoolers and primary schoolers:
|
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"Clara Goes to School" (Let's Start! Series), (Silver Dolphin)
|
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"When You Go to Kindergarten" by James Howe (William Morrow)
|
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"My First Day of School" by P. K. Hallinan (Hambleton-Hill)
|
|
"Bumble Bear" (School Zone Start to Read Book) by James Hoffman, et al (School Zone Publishing )
|
|
"First Day of School" (A Giant First Start Reader) by Kim Jackson (Troll)
|
|
"Kitty from the Start" by Judy Delton (Houghton Mifflin)
|
|
"Let's Go to School" (First-Start Easy Reader) by Michelle Petty (Troll)
|
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Back-to-school books for middle and high schoolers:
|
|
"101 Surefire Ways to Start the School Year" by Joan Novelli, Susan Shafer (Scholastic)
|
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"Summer Start: How to Organize Your Best School Year Ever" by Pat Fellers, Kathy Gritzmacher (Tops Learning System)
|
|
"Jump Start: How to Succeed in School and in Life" by Rafael Beer (Jump Start)
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