Back To School

It’s back to school time. We all know what that means to children, but what does it mean to you? When your children go back to school, it’s a great opportunity for you.

It’s a great opportunity to manage the expectations of your child and to put a little more structure in your home. The days of late night television and sleeping late are over. Summer is over and it’s time to get back to work, both for you and your child.

You can begin by putting “house rules” in place that set the foundation and the support structure for your son or daughter to be successful at school. So let’s examine what your house rules might look like related to school;

- You determine an appropriate time for Jordan to go to bed on school nights. It might be 8:00pm or 10:00pm, dependent on age.
- You ensure that Jordan wakes up in time to adequately prepare for school.
- Jordan eats breakfast every day before school.
- You make sure that Jordan arrives at school on time.
- Jordan has a designated place for homework and study without the television after school.
- Jordan also has a specified time for homework and study.
- You review Jordan’s homework on a regular basis.
- You are involved in parent activities at Jordan’s school and attend parent – teacher conferences.

None of these items are a big deal on their own. The power comes from combining all these small things and the sum is truly greater than the parts. In combining these activities, you’ve set up a structure and a foundation for Jordan to be successful at school.

The most interesting aspect is that all of these activities are within your control and none of the activities are based on Jordan’s test scores, writing ability or anything else that happens in the classroom. Your child’s success will largely be dependent on you and the structure and foundation you have put in place.
“Back to school” is indeed an opportunity for you to set up the structure that will manage the expectations of your child. You’ll be putting the foundation for success in place, and it’s all within your control. You can do it, so lets get started. Both you and your child will be glad you did.