The start of the school year is fast approaching, with the start of the school year on January 12 for the cluster of interior provinces (Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West) and on January 19 for the coastal cluster (Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, North Cape and Western Cape).
And that means the time to start preparing has almost arrived.
Every parent wants the school year to be a successful one for their children, so here are some simple ‘tips of the trade’ from a parent who not only raises three school children but has also been ‘on the other side’ as a parent. educator.
See also: Find the 2022 school vacation calendar here
1. Calendar all year round
One of the most disturbing things is when a school project or vacation surprises you and you didn’t know it. You can avoid this stress if you put the whole year on everyone’s calendar at the start of the first term of school.
Put whatever you can on the calendar. Every public holiday and excursion. Back to school evening. Gala day. Anything your school posts on its annual school calendar that affects your kids and family, put it on your calendar.
With digital calendars, it’s easier than ever. Invite your partner to these, so it’s on both of your calendars. If you have an au pair or an accompanying person, you can also invite them. And if you still use pen and paper, write all the dates on the master calendar that the whole family can see.
2. Create a system for children
Helping your kids get organized also helps. For parents, it’s stressful when we rush out in the morning, and one of the kids suddenly remembers that they need us to read and sign something from school. Or say something like “By the way, mom or dad, I need R100 for the science center trip today.”
Surprises like these are no fun. To eliminate them, we suggest creating a system.
Each child has two locations in a desk or mail organizer. Each location is labeled for each child as “important” and “schoolwork”. Important means parents should watch immediately. And schoolwork is for homework books that need to be signed. This way we know right away if there is a clearance or an important note that we need to read from school.
But for this system to work, children must learn to use it. With this simple intervention, parents say they’ve almost completely eliminated the morning stress of signing a form they didn’t know and made their job as parents so much easier.
3. Create a learning space for children
It’s important to give your kids a set amount of time to focus on their studies, but having a space to do so is also essential. Now decide where homework will be done in the coming year and prepare that space. Whether it’s decluttering a desk in a teenager’s bedroom or setting up a dedicated space in a common room, having a place kids can go just for their college education can greatly improve their focus. Plus, creating that space can be a fun activity. Working together to organize and decorate the space can give them a motivating start to the year!
4. Clean and declutter
Along with creating organized spaces for homework and study, it’s important for kids (and parents too) to start the year with a clean slate – in other words, an organized home. For children, this means tidying up their rooms and providing places for school stationery, backpacks, sports equipment, etc. start pouring in every day – not to mention the chaos of school mornings. Whether you need to buy label containers for easy school lunches and snacks or a supply of cardboard, glue and markers for your projects, the more you do now, the better, because even if you dread it, when the school year begins you will all be thankful. Check out one-stop stationery stores like PNA for these supplies.
5. Be grateful. Be united
The job of teachers is more difficult than most people can imagine. The amount of work they do during the week and on weekends – preparing for lessons, preparing their class, researching best practices, working with specialists, grading and grading homework, responding to parents, attending meetings and pursue their own education – is immense. .
So we need to be thankful for their hard work every day, and not just on “Teachers’ Day” or at the end of the year. Sign your emails with a sincere and sincere “thank you for everything you do”. Ask what you can do to support them and follow them.
Say ‘thank you’ to the administration, teacher assistants, specialists, athletic coaches and tuckshop workers as they all work to create a safe environment for your child to succeed and have the best possible year. So why wouldn’t you want to be grateful, supportive and grateful to this school community?
6. Finally, level up for an amazing year!
As with most things in life, attitude is everything at school. So, last but not least, start building excitement for the year ahead with positive thinking, conversation, and expectations. As a parent, you become your kids’ greatest cheerleader, and now is a good time to remind them how much you believe in them. Whether they are passing all the tests or struggling academically, make sure they know that you are proud of them and that you are there to see their efforts pay off.
Submitted by the ANP.
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