Preparing for the Start of School

It’s only August, but it is a great time to start preparing for the upcoming school year, especially if you have a child who is anxious and struggles with transitions. Here at REACH Behavior and Development Center, we believe in the power of planning. Last month, we shared some fun summer activities to do with your child. This month, we encourage you to continue with those activities while also ramping up for school.

Depending on your child, establishing a routine mimicking the school year is a great idea. Set your alarm clock for the time your child needs to wake up, get dressed, and have a nutritious breakfast. Add extra time to this morning routine if your child is anxious or scared. Consider using a timer system and reinforcing good behavior with a token economy.

Practice packing their lunch kit and school bag together. Getting children involved in the process is so important as it gives them a sense of control. Make it fun! Who can pack their bag the fastest? Or count how many colors are on the lunch kit. When incorporated into the process, children are more likely to be excited and engaged about attending school.

Consider incorporating fun academics into their day to get them used to table time. Set a timer to complete academic-related tasks. They don’t need to sit at the table all day but try motivating them to complete these tasks by providing their favorite reinforcer. We recently met with a family who has a child motivated by their Xbox. We encouraged this family to create a token system where, for every minute they sat at the table, they could “buy minutes” to play with their Xbox. At the end of the week, they could “cash in” their minutes for time on the Xbox, or they could decide to continue saving. Now, don’t get us wrong; we are not supporting extended periods of screen time, but 1-2 hours a day maximum can be used as a huge motivator.

In addition to establishing a routine that mimics a school day, it is vital to ensure that your child gets adequate rest. Depending on your child’s age, they may require anywhere between 8-14 hours of sleep to feel rested, recharged, and ready to go. Make sure that late nights are not consistent and that your child does not sleep throughout the day, especially as the start of school nears. Otherwise, you may have a child who struggles with the transition back to school.

Looking for more tips on how to prepare your child for the school year? Follow up on Instagram @reachabatherapy. Happy August to you all!