Schoolchildren unlearned the first weeks, but not all of them “returned” from the holidays to reality. Three weeks was enough for someone to adapt after a long rest, while someone needs more. September is considered a transitional month in the school calendar. How to help your child quickly get into a rut and set the right rhythm for the entire school year?
The rules for both junior schoolchildren and high school students are largely similar, says educational psychologist Dmitry Selifanov. They are simple, effective and time-tested.
9 rules for a successful start
1. Complete sleep
Holidays are the time for the abolition of the strict requirements of the regime. A child of any age needs to gradually return to full sleep. Primary school students need to sleep at least eight, and preferably ten hours. If the lessons start at 8:30, we rewind back two hours to get ready and travel, that is, the lights out should be immediately after “Good night, kids!”, No later than 21:30. For older children, eight hours may be enough.
In any case, look at the well-being of the child. Not enough — add an hour or two. And it is desirable for first-graders to sleep also during the day.
2. Walking and physical activity
Physical education lessons in the air are provided for in the school curriculum for a reason. If possible, the child should also walk during the day or in the evening, before going to bed. Equally important are morning exercises and stress for the muscles during the day. The student spends a lot of time at the desk, and movement is extremely necessary for him.
3. Regular meals
Be sure to find out from the teacher what the children are fed, whether your student has time to eat during the break. Perhaps you need to give him something with you. And don’t forget a hearty healthy breakfast. In autumn, it is worth supplementing the diet with vitamins.
4. Communication with peers
It seems to adults that during the school year the main thing is lessons. But no: games and communication with classmates are no less important. Perhaps now, after a long summer, there are especially many such meetings. Do not be afraid: soon the hunger for communication will be satisfied, and the balance of study and entertainment will normalize.
Do not worry if your offspring «forgot everything over the summer» — it means that he had a great rest
5. Dosed load
You need to supplement your studies with extracurricular activities gradually, after the schedule is finally settled. In the first month, wait a little with excessive intellectual load: foreign language courses, classes with tutors, chess and additional lessons. And do not worry if your offspring «forgot everything over the summer» — it means that he had a great rest. Gradually, everything will be remembered. Sports, music, dancing can be practiced from the beginning of the school year, especially if they are a joy. The main thing is to ask the child more often what he is interested in.
6. Daily and weekly schedule
It can be difficult for children to correctly and quickly allocate their time. We, with our multitasking and time management skills, find it hard to understand. Help your child make a schedule for the day and for the week (do not specify, but tell me). The «card of the week» can be hung in a conspicuous place. It is worth adding lessons, additional activities and entertainment to it: cinema, theater, birthday trips to friends, trips to visit relatives. Such a cheat sheet will help both the child and you plan time.
7. Pleasant little things
Most likely, you have already made a raid on stationery stores and even bought what specialized teachers asked for (albums for drawing and drawing, compasses, calculators). But maybe the child will want a new bright notebook or a different pen — the same as a friend’s. Such seemingly small things help to study with pleasure.
8. New clothes
The older the student, the more important his appearance and clothes are for him. Even if you can choose a uniform for your child with your eyes closed and you don’t need a fitting, take him to the store with you: let him take part in the process, choose what he likes best. In addition, the desire to show a new thing at school will be an additional incentive for the student.
9. Trusted communication
Do not ask routine questions from the series “How are you?”, “What did you ask?”, “What grade did you get?”. Ask about something specific: “What did you learn today?” or “You came upset (joyful) — tell me why?”. Sometimes you don’t need words — just sit next to you and hug your child.
Four Do’s and Don’ts for Parents
Even if it seems to you the highest manifestation of love and care, you cannot:
1. Do homework for the child
You can help with a problem, dictate a home exercise, or read a book aloud if the child is tired and discuss it together. But it’s not worth solving examples for him or gluing an application while he is “cutting” into a computer game. You have unlearned yours, now it’s his turn. Of course, sometimes it’s easier to do it yourself than to teach someone else. But it is important for a child to learn how to fish, so give him a rod and show him how to use it.
2. Compare with others and scare
Forget about moralizing in the spirit of «But Kolya probably read War and Peace a long time ago or» Well, everything is clear — you will go to the janitors. First, remember yourself. Did you follow the school curriculum exactly? Secondly, children are different and their pace is different. Thirdly, you will not cause anything but guilt and shame. And this is a bad incentive to study.
Notice the success of the child, listen to his desires. Patiently explain why this or that subject is important, why it is worth studying at all. You can and should negotiate with children, and you can always find a source of motivation.
3. Asking too much
Today’s children are victims of the perfectionism of parents who want their child to be the best, the smartest, the most successful. Hence — numerous language schools and circles, endless Olympiads … Childhood will end quickly, let the child remember the feeling of happiness and joy, and not just evidence of success — diplomas and diplomas on the wall.
4. Avoid contact with teachers
Teachers (first of all, the class teacher) and you are allies. If changes have taken place in your family: moving, divorce, the birth of another child, illness, the dismissal of one of the parents from work — the teacher should know about it. An adequate teacher will support you and your child. And the inadequate is not worth learning at all.
From vacation to vacation
Many parents, as soon as the school year has begun, begin to think about the upcoming holidays. Dmitry Selifanov is sure that this is correct, however, he suggests observing several important rules.
First, do not load the child with studies. In the near future he will have only a week of rest — try to cancel all additional classes. This is especially true of senior classes, where the workload is already huge.
Secondly, when planning a trip, try to choose a direction without a sharp change in climate: the child’s body will need time to adapt. And, finally, try not to take the beginning of a new quarter with rest, otherwise, upon returning, it will be difficult for the child to get into the rhythm and catch up with the program.
If you cannot move the trip, be sure to inform the teacher about it. You should not put him before the fact and even more so compose touching stories. You wouldn’t like it if they did that to you, right?