TJOURNAL.COM • Website of The Tri-County Journal & Chattahoochee Chronicle
 

The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@alltel.net

             
 
Parenting God's Way
 
 
Beating the Back-to-School Blues
 
   

    “Faster than a speeding bullet”- this catch phrase is used to describe Superman.  However, I think it is an appropriate description of that period of time between May and August that is affectionately referred to as summer vacation. Is it just me or does it feel like those weeks go by at warp speed? I feel like we got out of school, blinked twice and here we are packing our book bags again! If your family is like mine, there may be a little case of the “Back-to-School Blues” going around. I’m not sure that there is a way to prevent this malady, but there are ways in which it can be cured. I hope these little bits of advice and wisdom will help you as you gear up for another busy and hopefully successful school year. 
   My family’s life revolves around the school calendar. Not only are both of our children in school, but also, I am a teacher. Therefore, preparing for a new school year is a big event at our house. The most important thing I have learned is the importance of advanced preparation. The transition from lazy summer days to the rush of school will be much smoother if everyone and everything is prepared well before the first day. These preparations should include having school supplies collected, clothing organized, and plans made as far as transportation and after-school care if that is a need for your family.  Investing extra time before the first day will make a tremendous difference in the stress level in your home.
   Another important element in a successful beginning is making sure that you promote and maintain a positive attitude in your family. One good thing about a new school year is that it is a fresh start for students.  Encourage your kids to see the start of this year as an opportunity to improve anything that they struggled with last year. Help them think of ways in which

  
     
Community
Calendars
 
Click here
to go back to the sample
selection page for
Parenting God's Way.
     
     
 
FREESHIP120x90
  
   
they can make better grades, keep their things more organized, or have more positive relationships with their teachers and peers. Just like many people make New Year’s resolutions, your kids can make “new school year resolutions”. Goal setting is an important aspect of many areas of life. School is no different. Students of all ages can set goals for themselves. Certainly the goals of a kindergarten student would be quite different from those of a high school senior; however, establishing the habit of setting goals is very healthy. It has been said that if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.  Help your children aim for great things no matter where they are in their educational quest. When they achieve their goals, they will feel good about themselves and want to accomplish even more.
   Along those same lines, students can think as positively as they can about themselves and their schoolwork, but if they do not hear words of encouragement from us as their parents, they will struggle. A parent’s attitude has a great deal of influence on a child. Let’s commit ourselves to build up our children and encourage them each day to do their best during this new school year. They need to know that we believe they can succeed. Peer opinion is certainly important to children especially in their teen years. However, the support of a loving parent is second to none. Be your kids’ biggest cheerleader this year.
   One hazard with a new school year is to start the year off strong and then get slack as the year wears on. Don’t allow that to happen in your family. Pray that God will give you the strength, energy, and wisdom to maintain a well-organized and positive environment in your home throughout the school year.