Get ready! An exciting new experience is coming down the pipeline. Your child is getting ready to go to high school!
Once you let that sink in, it might feel a little overwhelming.
First, how did you suddenly become old enough to have a child in high school? Second, what must your child be feeling right now?
Here are a few tips to help your child prepare for high school.
Work Out a Morning Routine
Before school starts, you should work out a morning routine with your child. Part of preparing for high school is having a good routine. Encourage them to start waking up at the time they will need to wake up to be at school on time.
Trying to go straight from sleeping in late while school was out to getting up early each day is rough on the body and brain. Encourage them to give their body time to adjust before heaping the challenges of their first few days on top.
If they will be getting to school on their own now, walk the route with them a few times. Let them lead the way so they will feel confident they can do it on their own.
Be Ready Early
Take your child school shopping well before school starts. Make sure they have the uniforms they need (don’t forget PE!) and all the stationery, pens, and other tools.
Encourage them to pack everything in their school bag the night before their first day. This will ensure they won’t get behind searching for a random item the morning of.
Get Ready! It’s Study Time
Most primary students are nervous about the copious amount of homework they hear that students receive in high school.
It’s true that students are given many assignments, but no teacher is deliberately wanting to see their students fail. The assignments and exams are simply learning tools to help students understand concepts and keep up.
This isn’t primary school anymore, this is prep for the real world and children need to learn these lessons now.
That being said, the amount of homework given usually only becomes overwhelming when kids procrastinate. Encourage your child to finish their homework immediately upon arriving home from school.
With that task off their mind, they are then free to participate in their favourite leisure activities. Doing it the other way can mean spending too much time on leisure and staying up late to finish homework which will negatively impact the next day at school.
Have Fun at High School
Most importantly, encourage your child to enjoy the experience. High school is a lot of hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun.
Your child will make new friends, discover new interests, and learn a ton about life in general. Being prepared for their first day will help take a lot of stress out of the experience and give your child the confidence they need to shine!
