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Before school begins there are many things you can do at home and at school to help prepare your child for a successful school start!
Home Activities
Parents are an integral part of their child's school success. Establishing a consistent routine before school begins is key. Good nutrition and sleeping habits are an important part of this routine.
Good Nutrition and Meals
Good nutrition has been linked to healthier children, less childhood obesity, and multiple benefits at school. As the school year begins try to set up routines and general times for each meal. When your child gets up, have them eat a healthy and filling breakfast. Excellent examples are oatmeal, eggs, waffles, bagels, yogurt, or whole grain cereal. Try to find out what time your child will be eating lunch at school. Set your lunch time as close to this time as possible. This way when school starts your child will be hungry when it's time for lunch. If your child has snack time at school, try to pack a healthy and filling snack such as veggies, fruit, cheese and crackers, yogurt, or granola bars. These snacks will give your child the energy to make it through school and home for dinner.
With all the changes at the start of a school year, many children will eat more if they bring a nutritious and yummy lunch from home. If your child has a special new lunchbox, it is a great idea to take a picnic lunch to a local park and practice using their new lunchbox. They can practice opening it and any food or drink containers inside.
If your child will be buying their lunch, show them the lunch menu and discuss what they would like for lunch. It often helps kids to know what they will be eating later that day, especially if it is something they like! Some children get anxious when they hear other students talk about lunch money if they don't have any. Make sure your child knows they will eat everyday!
Sleep Habits
An important part to success in Kindergarten is getting enough sleep. During the summer it is easy to get off a good sleep schedule. We want to stay up late, sleep in the morning, and take several naps throughout the day! The key to getting back on a healthy sleep schedule is starting early. Start at least two weeks before school starts. Don't dramatically change children's bedtime in one night, slowly shift it back in small increments so they are ready for the start of school. Decide what time you want your child to be in bed. Generally, school age children should be in bed by 7 or 8 pm. Your child should be refreshed and ready to go in the morning. If they are sluggish or having a difficult time in the morning, try moving their bedtime earlier in the evening. Then map out what their "bedtime routine" will be. Will you give them a bath each night? Read a good story? Have a glass of warm milk? Reflect upon the day? Figure out how long the bedtime routine will take. If you want your child in bed by 7:30 and their routine take 30 minutes, then you need to start getting ready at 7:00. Once you've established a set routine, those bedtime activities will send cues to your child's brain that it is time for sleep and trigger the release of melatonin or the "sleep hormone".    There are some activities that should not be a part of bedtime routines. Things such as video games, watching TV, or roughhousing make it difficult for your child to calm down and fall asleep. Try to stop these activities at least an hour before bedtime.    A great website for parents and kids is www.sleepforkids.org . This website provides information on the value of sleep, games and activities for children and an entire section for parents and teachers about sleep. It includes sample bedtime routines, sleep tips, and a section detailing children's sleep problems and the effects of poor sleep on children.
School Activities
Starting the year before your child will be attending Kindergarten, begin to check your school's calendar for upcoming events. You may want to attend PTA meetings, curriculum nights, the Showcase of Schools, Open Houses, or parent information sessions. You may also want to contact your school to find out more about Kindergarten Registration and to set up a time to meet with the principal or a Kindergarten teacher. By becoming involved early, you are strengthening your relationship with the school; a relationship that will only help your child to succeed!
It is important to visit your child's school before the first day. This is a wonderful chance for you and your child to learn more about the place they will be spending much of their time. It is important to stay positive during your visit and reinforce those thoughts at home. Talk about how much your child will learn with their new teacher and how excited you are about seeing their work. If you are excited about their school, they will be, too! Here are some ideas of places you may want to visit during your trip:
Find the Kindergarten hallway and identify some of the classrooms for your child
Point out the cafeteria, music and art rooms, library, main office, and gym
Show your child the playground and allow them some time to explore (This will also give them something to look forward to on the first day!)
Water fountains are usually a big hit with Kindergartners! Show them how to turn on the water fountain and not to put their mouth on the source.
If your child will be attending a before school or afterschool program at the school, see if you can find where they will be going. Discuss your child's schedule with them. In can be a bit confusing if they are taking the bus in the morning and going to afterschool in the afternoon. Make sure your child's teacher knows how they will be coming and going from school to help ease any confusion. To find out more information about before and after school contact the Office of Community Education at 560-3816.
Another way to excite your child is to set up a play date with neighborhood kids who will be attending Kindergarten with your child. Even if they are not in the same class they still may see each other on the bus, playground, or cafeteria. Sometimes seeing a familiar face makes all the difference!