Depending on where you live, your tween could be starting school in the next week or maybe not for another month. Either way she’s been on summer vacation for over a month. She probably is revelling in the no homework, sleep late, lounge on the couch nature of summer. It is likely that the mention of school may cause angst. C’est la vie.
So, how do you prep your tween for the school year? It varies from tween to tween, but there are a few things that should help all.
First, the week before school begins you need to start working your way back to a school schedule, especially if your child doesn’t wake easily. Sure, he will want to stay up late to enjoy the last week of vacation, so create a deal. If you can do a practice run of school night bedtime and getting up on time the next morning, he can return to his summer schedule for a few more days. If the morning doesn’t go well, he needs to repeat the school schedule again. He’s old enough to be responsible for getting up in the morning.
Second, start some back to school shopping. Now that your child is a tween, she may or may not want a brand new outfit for the first day of school. There’s something about being more nonchalant about starting school as the kids get older. I found with my kids that they wanted to shop about a month after school started. They wore shorts for the first few weeks anyway, and it gave them time to see what trends they liked and didn’t. We also usually delayed school supply shopping until lists were received from teachers. Some schools mail them in advance; others wait until school starts.
Third, will your tween be moving from elementary to middle school? Familiarize yourself with the new schedule. Does the day start earlier or later? Is there a different bus stop? Does your tween have apprehension about the new school? Be sure to find information to help with this transition. Maybe there’s an older sibling or a friend with an older sibling that can answer your tween’s questions.
Fourth, have him start brushing up on educational pieces. No, I wouldn’t ask him to do flashcards, but it would be good to implement some reading time every day. Choose a time when everyone can sit and read a book or magazine- adults included. On a hot summer day it’s nice to relax with some literature. Have your tween cook with you; there’s math involved. Or when you go back to school shopping, have him do some estimating on totals or determining prices if there’s a 25% off sale.
Sure, your tween is bound to pout that summer is ending. It is a wonderful time of year. With a little effort, you can ease the transition by making sure your tween is well rested and using that brain for more than winning video games.