Written By Tamar Z. Kahane, PsyD., Founder and Clinical Director of The Kahane Center
Are you sad to say goodbye to the summer? Transitioning back to school from summer fun can be challenging. At The Kahane Center we train parents, children and educators to use the POWERS skills to help us get through difficult transitions and thrive.
We are here to support you and your children in facilitating a successful transition back to school life. Here are some tips for parents.
Transitions are Triggers
In POWERS we call transitions “triggers” as they can be stressful and elicit many different feelings. Remind your child that transitions are stressful and that all their feelings are okay and normal.
Re-establish Routines
All children need time to adjust to new routines. A couple of weeks before school starts, slowly make bedtime a bit earlier. Introduce some of the routines that you will be embracing in the fall. Raise your expectations around their time management.
Before and Afters
Decide when and where your child will do homework. Be sure to cover tricky topics: Structure device time with your child depending on their age for after their responsibilities are completed. Create a checklist with your child of their responsibilities and teach them to use it. Establishing guidelines for the things that need to be taken care of, and going over them together will make sure you’re on the same page once school starts.
Get Together and Set Goals
At The Kahane Center we use STEPS to help children set and work towards their goals. Take a moment to watch FLOPSY LEARNS STEPS with your child. Encourage your child to set a goal that is meaningful to them by using this template. Consider setting your own goal along with them and use STEPS to keep track of your goals together!
Hold Onto Summer Playfulness
Remember that the antidote to anxiety is playfulness so try to take some of the summer activities and fun with you into fall. If your child loved playing basketball at summer camp, dancing or biking or enjoyed swimming at the pool, try to keep it going during the school year. A family outing to get ice cream can also happen in the fall 🙂 maybe …
Set Up a Structure for Homework
Create a quiet, FIXED LOCATION for homework. This will take some reminders and time to establish this new habit but will be very helpful.
Dry Run
If your child is starting at a new school or particularly anxious about the process, you may want to consider visiting the school together ahead of time. This will help your child feel more familiar with the environment and alleviate some of the anxiety on their first day back.
Follow the links to learn more about our services including the POWERS Program, Social Cognition Groups, School Based Consultations, Neuropsychological Evaluations, POWERS Parenting, and Individual Psychological Services.
Together we can make this school year the most successful one for you and your children.
