Most kids, no matter how bright or eager to learn they may be, have a hard time returning back to school for a new term after the holidays. If your child is about to face the same situation, then here’s how you can really get your kids excited about the start of a new school year after the holidays.
Ways to Get Your Kids Excited for a New School Year
Want to know how to work this miracle? Well, here are some of the top tips to accomplish this feat:
- Shop for school supplies
- Personalise their belongings
- Set up a study space
- Create delicious lunches
- Visit the school
- Plan a back to school party
Now let’s discuss each of these tips in detail.
Shop for School Supplies
A nifty trick is to take your kid along when buying school supplies for the start of a new school year. Tell them about the things you are buying and how they can help you choose the best ones. For instance, if your child needs a new school bag, take them to the shop and ask them to point out the design or colour they love the best. Buying new accessories for school can get your kids excited, especially when they are told they can only open up and use their new purchases when school begins after the vacations.
The shopping spree idea is the best way to jump-start the curiosity and excitement lying dormant within your child. They will be eager to explore their new belongings once the school year kicks off. You can buy a school bag, a lunch box, a water bottle, stationery and other must-haves for the new term and you can customise them to suit your child’s preferences.
Personalise Their Belongings
While some schools make it mandatory for parents to label or mark a child’s belongings with a name tag, others do not. However, if you want to excite your child about using their new stuff, why not give them a chance to personalise it with their name or decorate it with stickers? The act of decorating or labelling items provides a sense of ownership to your kid and they will take better care of their belongings. Moreover, if your child’s sweater or water bottle gets lost, it will be found and returned to the rightful owner with the help of the name tag.
Decorating lunch boxes and bottles with stickers is also a lot of fun and can give you a good chance to bond with your kid while you chat about the school and the start of the new term. Once personalised, your children will also be quite eager to show off their decorative skills and sticker collection to their friends once they are back to school and you know what that means… They’ll be excited about the start of a new school year too.
Set Up a Study Space
While you’re shopping, also buy all the essentials that you need to set up a proper studying area for your kid. Put a small desk and a comfortable chair in their room and use a colourful stationery holder or case to secure their colours and pencils. Add other items of daily use as needed. It could be a stack of blank papers, a few copies or books that are for use at home and other school supplies.
Make sure that this section of your child’s room is colourful, engaging and interactive. You do not want to distract your children while they are doing their homework, but you do want to make it more entertaining for them. Also, the more attractive the study space is, the more eager your child will be for the start of the new term.
Create Delicious Lunches
Vacations are the perfect time to hone your lunch-making and packing skills. Why not try new delicious recipes and get your child’s opinion on whether they’d love to have it for lunch at school? Most kids look forward to lunch and play hour as that is the time they get to have fun with their friends. Make that time special by cooking something that’s delicious and healthy.
Take your child’s opinion on the trial recipes and if they approve, let them know that they can have this particular item for lunch on a particular day or even the first day of school. That can truly make them look forward to the day all the more.
Visit the School
Children are often afraid of going back to school after the vacations because they are unsure of what to expect. They do not know who their new teachers will be, which sections their friends have been sorted into and what their classroom is going to look like. If it is possible, take your kid to school before the term starts and help them familiarise themselves with the environment and their new classmates. Let them meet their teachers or old friends and get acquainted with new ones.
Some schools have open houses for this very reason. Ask the school’s management if they can set one up for the new term. The anticipation of meeting their friends again as soon as school begins and getting to explore their new classroom and surroundings is sure to get your kids excited for the end of the holidays.
Plan a Back to School Party
If your child is returning to the same school and still has the same friends, why not invite them over for a back to school bash? You can plan it out on a few days before school begins. Prepare some snacks, have a few child-friendly movies or activities, at hand and let them chat about how they’ve spent their vacations. This will give your kids a chance to get accustomed to the idea of heading back to school.
Alternatively, you can set up a back to school ritual with your family. Go out for dinner, head to the park or indulge in any activity that your kid enjoys the most. This can be done on the weekend before the start of a new school year so it does not disrupt the sleep routine of your kid. Make sure to let your child know that family outings are still a possibility on the weekends and that they can make their suggestions as to where they want to go. This can build excitement for the future in their minds and assure them that going to school will not be all work and no play.
While some kids are genuinely eager to go back to school and begin the learning process again, not every child is the same. Where one kid might be naturally excited for the start of the new term, the other might not be as eager for the same. This does not mean that you overlook the needs of either child or treat them differently.
Make sure you give equal time and importance to their fears and concerns and tackle them accordingly. Make sure all your children are equally excited about the start of the new term. Remember to be positive when talking to kids about going back to school after the summer holidays and boost their morale to begin the new year on a high note.
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