August 2008 - Survive The Back To School Transition

August is one of those in between months. It holds the end of summer on one hand and the beginning of the school year on the other. Since both of these can be stressful times for parents and children I am hoping to offer a little help on both.

Often by August 1, parents and other care givers have exhausted their creative ideas, their energy and their patience. The heat has everyone wanting to be outside, but being stuck inside and tempers get as high as the temperature. Here are several inside and outside activities for home to help everyone make it to the first day of school.

Let you kids give these a try: volunteer to help a neighbor, cook something, write a letter to a school friend you have not seen this summer, write a story or do a picture diary of your favorite pet, have a paper airplane contest ( who's goes fastest, furthest, highest, etc.), plant something, make a crossword puzzle using family names, clean out food cupboards and donate unwanted items to the local food pantry, sprinkler time, play a board game you have not played in a long time, take a bucket of water and a paint brush and paint the house, go on a bug hunt and try to identify the bugs you find, write a poem about summer, have a scavenger hunt, plan a picnic, create a new summer drink, blow bubbles, collect rocks and separate them by size or shape or color, have a movie afternoon, tell ghost stories, make homemade milkshakes, catch and release fireflies, share a joke with your family, make a treasure map and see if your family can find your hidden treasure, go for a nature walk, send a letter to an older relative, make a float, have a lemonade stand, wash mom and dad's car, draw a picture of your summer.

Now, with all that to work in before school starts your children hopefully, will be busy and more content. But, the end of August brings the new school year and here are some tips to help make the transition from summer to school a little smoother.

1. Start your child's new wake up schedule before the first day of school. This will keep their bodies from feeling shocked and tired when the alarm clock goes off on day one.

2. Remind your child of all the fun things about school: friends, favorite subjects, recess, whatever will help your child realize that the end of summer is not the end of fun.

3. Go ahead and set bedtimes, homework time, evening schedules for school nights, rules that change when school begins and limitations on extra activities. This is the time to decide what you are willing to do after school. Try to keep your child and other family members involved in this process.

4. Keep your attitude positive. That is the most important factor in your child's attitude.

5. Plan ahead. You will need to do school clothes shopping, school supply shopping, school orientations, etc. in August. Make a plan of attack and make a budget. These are things that have to be done, but they can be more fun if you set the day, make a list and don't over spend. A note about clothes: whether you have boys or girls allow your child to help as they are able in deciding what you buy. They will feel a part of the decision and they will be much more likely not to grump at wearing the outfits purchased. Discuss you budget and let them understand what is available as choices.

Good bye summer and hello school time can be hectic. You decide what lessons you want your child to carry from this season that comes around each fall.