Our child care programs, summer camp, and forest school are child-centered and inquiry based.
With just over a month until back-to-school, we’re revisiting some tips to help ease the transition from summer to school, so families feel confident and prepared to start the new school year.
Start to re-establish the school year routine.
Whatever the season, good daily routines support self-regulation by prioritizing a balance of nutrition, active time, rest time, connection, play, and time to complete daily responsibilities.
If summer has consisted of later nights and slower mornings it can help to begin shifting bedtime, wake-up time, and mealtime routines in advance.
Tips:
- Involve kids in the discussion, planning and execution of the back-to-school routine.
- Discuss with kids what age-appropriate family responsibilities they would like to help with: from planning grocery lists and preparing meals to cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening, or pet care.
Learn and practice skills using a growth mindset.
Learning doesn’t just happen during the school year – it happens all the time. Give kids opportunities to practice their self-help skills: choosing what to wear, zipping up jackets, tying laces, washing hands, opening lunch containers, packing/unpacking bags, and tidying up after themselves etc.
Our mindset around learning matters. Kids notice what we say and how we say it – to them and to ourselves – we’re always modeling and they’re always absorbing. Encourage a growth mindset, focus on effort, and try to view “mistakes” as learning opportunities. Remembering “Progress over perfection” and “connection before correction” goes a long way towards both skill development and well-being.
Tips:
- Be patient, expect things to take longer, and build in extra time where possible.
- Break any process down into small, specific, manageable steps.
- Believe in children’s capacity and resist the urge to take over; by letting kids try to do things themselves, and allowing them to struggle a bit, we help build resilience and confidence.
- Encourage children’s decision-making skills by letting them make more choices, and as long as it’s safe, honouring those choices.
Confirm and communicate the details in advance.
Clear communication helps things go smoothly and reduces stress for both children and caregivers.
Tips:
- Before school starts, confirm emergency contacts and ensure everyone knows and understands the plan for pickups, buses, and routines.
- Make sure you have important numbers and emails stored in your phone.
- Have fun practicing the plan more than once when you have time.
Get organized: keep it simple.
Getting things in order prior to the big day will help during the first week run more smoothly and could be a great strategy to continue throughout the year too.
Tips:
- Prioritize and label the essentials: clothes, shoes, water bottles and lunch bags – anything that will be going to school and childcare. This includes extra clothes, shoes, and weather-appropriate gear.
- Ensure clothes and shoes fit. It’s a delicate dance of getting things ready in advance but not too early that kids have already outgrown them by end of summer.
- Plan to do simple lunches and snacks: things that are easy, allergy-safe, and healthy. Whenever possible, involve children; these shared moments are valuable for learning and connection (see Resources). It also increases the chance that kids will eat the lunch when they’re part of the process.
Anticipate back-to-school while enjoying the rest of your summer.
Summer will be over before we know it; in the meantime, enjoy the rest of the season while building excitement for the new school year.
Tips:
- Create a back-to-school countdown calendar together; it’s a fun, creative activity and visual countdowns help kids—and adults—mentally prepare.
- Take some time to reflect on the first half of summer and then plan for how to enjoy the rest of this season.
- Remember that for kids, play is learning: Let’s Talk About Play – Upper Canada Child Care
However you spend the last few weeks of summer, we hope you’ve made lots of joyful memories!
Resources:
Healthy eating for parents and children – Canada’s Food Guide
Involve kids in planning and preparing meals – Canada’s Food Guide