Helping Your Child Succeed Academically:

• Develop and implement a consistent homework place and time. Young children may need you to sit with them for help and support, but most children can begin to develop independence with homework if an adult is present and available rather than sitting beside them.

• Check the assignment book and see that assignments are completed.

• Do not give extra work or practice without the teacher’s recommendation. Contact your child’s teacher if homework is taking an unusually long time for your child to complete.  Praise effort, not perfection.

• Keep track of your child’s long-range assignments and test dates and offer support in completing projects and studying for tests. Keep your expectations realistic.

• Encourage your child to read, read, read, read!

Helping Your Child Succeed Socially:

• Arrange to have your child get together with old friends but do not be alarmed if old friendships fade away; this is normal.

• Encourage and facilitate your child’s new friendships but be patient, and help your child to be patient as well. Friendships take time and effort to establish. Identify at least one classmate your child would like to befriend. Discuss and practice ways to make friends and be a good friend.

Helping Your Child Manage Stress:

• Expect your child to be under a fair amount of stress at the beginning of a new school year. This is normal. Make sure your child is getting MORE sleep (#1 reason for difficult adjustments is too little sleep), good nutrition, and enough exercise in addition to some “down time.”

• Talk to your child about school and be available to listen, but don’t interrogate him/her about every detail of the day.

• Resist the impulse to jump in and fix every problem for your child. Brainstorm possible solutions with your child but let your child learn to cope with changes and problems as well.

• Keep your home routine as structured, predictable, and consistent as possible. September and even early October are not ideal times for vacations, late night activities, changing bedrooms, or home remodeling projects.

• Be careful that your child does not hear your anxieties about the school year. Critical comments about the teacher, homework, or your child’s classmates will make your child more anxious.

• Call your child’s teacher and counselor if your child is experiencing a great deal of stress (e.g., not acting like him/herself, stomachaches on school days, extremely fearful or upset about school). While some stress is normal, your child shouldn’t be paralyzed by it.

Copyright 2008 by Catherine Mallam
All Rights Reserved