By now we're all Back to School. I've started to get a few emails from parents asking for support about school transitions. Here's some Back to School Foundation ideas for smooth sailing all year long. (If you homeschool, or have little ones still at home, these foundations are for you too.) Let's start with a little quiz! (Hey, if the kids have to do it...) What is the #1 most important requirement for your child to be able to excel academically and socially at school this year? Guesses? Children need to feel good about themselves at school. (Or at home, if you homeschool). Children should, for the most part, be relaxed at school. They should feel like they can be themselves, and that their teachers likes them. Now let's be honest. Life is stressful, and school can be too at times. But if your child truly protests about going to school, seems upset or nervous when they're there, is being bullied, or if you observe that the teacher is not emotionally-attuned to them --- your child will have a hard time learning. And any academic learning that does happen may be at a cost to their emotionally well-being and learning. Children deserve to feel good at school. What to do if your child is stressed about school? * Talk to the teacher, right away. * Seek out the guidance counselor. * If neither of these people are helpful, look for the person at school who your child feels most connected to--- and talk to them. * Seeking out a counselor, who is up-to-date on the latest brain science. * Contact me to learn more about my Back to School Support Packages. Let's eat! Growing bodies and brains need high-quality food. This is another non-negotiable. I worry when children eat boxed cereal for breakfast, eat all their snack food at school, and only take two bites out of their sandwich or other main entree for lunch. Then they come from school, or are in aftercare, and have goldfish and those fruit juicy snacks for an after school snack. Now it's 5 or 6 pm, and these kids haven't had a real meal all day. Growing bodies and brains need high-quality food. What can you do? * Serve breakfast for dinner. Left-over dinner from the night before is easiest. Chicken, fish, hot dogs with broccoli and rice or quiona are common breakfasts in our house. Other families serve breakfast burritos. I know it can be busy in the morning, and your child may not have the palate for left-over dinner first thing in the am. * If that is the case, think high protein however you can get it. Growing brains need protein. Other ideas? * Ask the teacher or lunchroom person to do a check-in with your child about their lunch. These adults can offer Encouragement (no forcing!) to try, eat, or finish their main lunch entree. * Saving snack food for after your child eats the the main entree is another idea. * Serve a high-protein, meal-like after school snack. Do what works best for your family. If the family sit down dinner when everyone gets home from school/work is important in your family, wonderful. But do feed your child substantial nourishment right after school, if you know they're not eating much of their lunch at school. Quality Time with you I know life can get crazy hectic. But quality time with you is sssssooo important. Families are way over-scheduled these days. But quality time with you is even more important than extra-curricular activities. Quality Time with you is essential to your child's academic and social success, as well as their emotional health. So schedule in 10 minutes of child-led quality time activities everyday (or 30 minutes weekly for older children) to fill up your children's emotional cups. This is a top priority, and can be hard to make happen. Click here for a Positive Discipline article about Quality Time with kids, and this one about Spending Quality Time with teens. There's my Top 3 Back to School Foundations for a happy and healthy school year. What are your top Back to School Foundations? Leave a comment below.
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Mama Megan
Hi friends, I write from the heart to tell my life story, and the story of those in my neighborhood called life. Research shows that our children's emotional & mental health is contingent upon us parents being able to tell our life story, or "coherent narrative." This is my coherent narrative, my life story in the making, with some of what I love in life too. My goal is to share my life in a way that is real, uplifting & positive- sometimes serious, sometimes fun. In my practice, I inspire parents to empowerment through reclaiming our life stories and learning respectful discipline. My work is my offering to our children- our future. Wishing you all a happy family! Archives
May 2021
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