Before School Starts

· Be sure your child is in good physical and mental health. Schedule doctor and dental checkups early. Discuss any concerns you have over your child's emotional or psychological development with your pediatrician. Your doctor can help determine if your concerns are normal, age appropriate issues or require further assessment. Your child will benefit if you can identify and begin addressing a potential issue before school starts. Schools appreciate the efforts of parent to remedy problems as soon as they become apparent.

· Review all of the information sent by the school as soon as it arrives. These packets include important information on your child's teacher, room number, school supply requirements, sign ups for after-school sports and activities, school calendar dates, bus transportation, health and emergency forms, and volunteer opportunities.

· Mark your calendar with important dates, especially back to school nights. This is especially important if you have children in more than one school and need to juggle obligations. Arrange for a babysitter now, if necessary.

· Make copies of all your child's health and emergency information for your reference later. Health forms are typically good for more than a year and can be used again for camps, extracurricular activities, and the following school year.

· Buy school supplies early, and fill the backpacks a week or two before school starts. Older children can help do this, but make sure they use a checklist that you can review. Some teachers require specific supplies, so save receipts for items that you may need to return later.

· Plan to reestablish the bedtime and mealtime routines (especially breakfast) at least one week before school starts. Prepare your children for this change by talking to them about the benefits of school routines in terms of not becoming overtired or overwhelmed by school work and activities. Include pre-bedtime reading and household chores, if these were suspended during the summer.

· Encourage your children to play quiet games, do puzzles, flash cards, color, or read as their early morning activities, instead of watching television. This will help ease them into the learning process and school routine. If possible, maintain this practice throughout the school year. Television is distracting for many children, and they will arrive at school better prepared to learn each morning if they have engaged in less passive activities.

· Visit school with your child if he or she is young or new to the school. Meeting the teacher, locating their classroom, locker, lunchroom, etc., will help ease pre-school anxieties and also allow the child to ask questions about their new environment. Call ahead to make sure the teacher will be available to say "hello" to your child.

· Minimize clothes shopping woes by buying only the essentials. Summer clothes are usually fine during the early fall, but be sure to have at least one pair of sturdy shoes. Check with your school to confirm dress code guidelines. Common concerns include extremely short skirts and shorts, low rise pants, bare midriffs, spaghetti strap or halter tops, exposed undergarments, and clothing that has antisocial messages.

· Designate and clear a place to do homework. Older children should have the option to study in their room or a quiet area of the house. Younger children usually need an area set aside in the family room or kitchen to facilitate adult monitoring, supervision, and encouragement.

· Select a spot to keep backpacks, lunch boxes etc. as well as a place for your child to put important notices and information sent home for you to see. Explain that emptying their backpack each evening is part of their responsibility, even for young children. See our article "Backpack Basics" for more information on this routine.

· Freeze a few easy dinners so that meal preparation won't add to household tensions during the first week of school.

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