Make sure your child is off to a great start this school year

New shoes? Check. New pencils? Check again. So what else can you do to help your child have a successful school year? Here’s a Top 10 list of ideas:

Get a schedule. Most kids need more sleep. Have a regular time when your child goes to bed ... and gets up. Once on a regular schedule, she’ll be ready for school on time.
Start strong. Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast before school every morning. Kids who eat breakfast are ready to learn.
Keep track. Give your child a notebook so she can keep track of homework and school projects.
Hit the (study) spot. Make sure your child has a regular place to do homework and study every day. It can even be the kitchen table, as long as it’s quiet and has good lighting. Keep supplies nearby.
Manage time. Help your child break down big assignments into smaller chunks. Create due dates for each chunk and write them down.
Create a homework habit. Make sure your child sets aside time for studying every day. If there’s no homework, your child can review or read ahead.
Ask questions. Encourage your child to ask the teacher questions if she doesn’t know the answer. Use email to contact the teacher yourself if you have a question.
Study in style. Learning style, that is. Not all kids learn the same way. Help your child figure out how she learns best. Is she a visual learner who needs to see things written down? Is she an auditory learner who needs to hear information?
Pack it in. Each night, make sure your child gets into the habit of packing her book bag with everything she’ll need for school the next day.
Talk it up. Every day, ask your child questions about what she is learning in school. If you don’t know a lot about a subject she is studying, ask her to explain it to you.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2006 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2006 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “Helping Your Child with Homework,” U.S. Department of Education, www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/homework/index.html.

Discipline

Cultivate responsible thinking and behavior in your child

Help your child understand that she has control of—and responsibility for—many aspects of her life. Her choices make a difference and require thought.

Encourage your child to:

Be aware of what she does right. Tell her how her effort or practice led to a certain payoff. Studying her spelling led to an “A.”
Realize that she acts voluntarily. She can make good or bad choices.
See the connection between her actions and the consequences. What happens when she doesn’t get up on time for school?
Reflect on different actions she could take under difficult situations. What might she do if her friend calls before she’s finished her homework?
Consider the likely consequences of her actions before she acts. What happened last time? Did she feel good about what she did? Did it lead to a lost privilege or a reward?
Keep track of her behavior and the consequences. Evaluate whether she’s making more responsible choices.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2006 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2006 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Terri Apter, The Confident Child: Raising a Child to Try, Learn, and Care, ISBN: 0-393-04058-5 (W. W. Norton & Company, 1-800-233-4830, www.wwnorton.com).

Wellness

Make sure your child’s backpack isn’t too heavy

A backpack full of books and supplies can weigh your child down. She may develop neck strain, shoulder pain or a backache. The heavy load could lead to chronic posture and back problems, and possibly missed days from school.

Take these precautions:

Weigh your child’s backpack. Have her fill it as she normally would. The rule of thumb is that the backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 15 percent of your child’s weight. So if your child is 60 pounds, the backpack should weigh nine pounds or fewer.
Make sure you child isn’t carrying more than necessary. She should check with her teacher if she’s not sure.
Show your child how to pack for comfort. Place heavier items—large books and binders—close to her back.
Make sure your child puts the backpack on correctly, with both straps over the shoulders. Teach her how to adjust the straps so they fit snugly.
Notice how your child stands and walks with the backpack on. She should be able to stand up straight, without leaning right or left, back or forward.
Watch for signs of trouble—red marks where the straps might cut into her shoulder. Or complaints of pain in her back, neck or shoulders.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2006 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2006 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “Backpack Health Alert,” Parents Magazine, September 2002 (Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing, 1-800-727-3682, www.parents.com).

Screen Time

Review the amount of time your child spends in front of a screen

The start of a new school year is the perfect time to review your child’s screen time habits. Hours spent in front of a screen can hurt your child’s performance in school. Research shows too much TV may lead to lower academic achievement, creativity and social skills.

To make “screen time” better:

Limit screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.
Select educational programs and games. Public television offers good choices. Check parenting magazines for reviews of suitable games.
Watch TV with your child. Talk about the values and lessons shown. For instance, acceptance of others who look or sound different, and kindness toward the sick and homeless.
Avoid violent programs and games. Children can become insensitive to violence if they see it too much.
Monitor what your child sees and hears on the news. Images of war, disaster and violent crime can upset him.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2006 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2006 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “Children’s Health Topics: Media Use,” American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org/healthtopics/mediause.cfm.