First, it is important to build a relationship with your child’s teacher. At the beginning of each school year I tell the parents of my students to keep me informed of issues that their child is dealing with. It helps me better understand attitudes and behaviors, whether they are positive or negative. Building a relationship with the person who spends more waking hours with your child than you, is of the utmost importance. Express your concerns or your child’s and as the year progresses let your child share issues and events with their teacher.

Listen to your child when they express their anxieties or fears. Remember you are their rock and you need to reassure them that they can handle different situations they encounter. Many times, especially when our children are on the younger side, we tend to want to ‘fix’ everything. It is important to start preparing them to take control of the situation and find a solution. Assure your child that you are there to assist them when necessary.

Next, have a game plan for the school year. Talk about the goals that you set together both academically and socially. Have your children enjoy activities both in and out of school. Remember to not over commit your child with activities, but it is important that they find those activities they enjoy most.

As we are all trying to get back into the groove of getting up early and needing to be at school and work on time, it is important to get organized the night before. My family finds that taking showers, picking out clothes, and having your school bag ready the night before saves time and many headaches for all. It is also imperative to get to bed early and get a good night sleep. Everyone will be happy and fresh for a new day.

For older children, help or motivate them to find a mentor. Whether they help with academics or social issues it is many times more rewarding for your child to success while you stand on the side line and watch their growth. It won’t be easy but very rewarding to your child and you.

Different things work for each family but hopefully these ideas can help assist your family for some of the beginning school year issues.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault It is a great book for young children. It has rhythm and rhyme and children enjoy reading along. It also helps children identify the alphabet letters. A must have for children!	The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi It is a great multi-cultural book about a girl, named Unhei that moves to the United States from Korea. On her first day of school the children on her bus make fun of her name since they cannot pronunciate. So she decides not to tell her class her name when she first arrives there. The children in the class give her a "name jar" full of American names that she can pick from. She eventually decided--with help from a friendly boy--that she likes her real name and will be called by it. The children in the room decide in the end that it would be cool to have a Korean name too.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Newbery Medal Winner After losing his parents in a terrible accident, Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee decides to run - and not just run away, but run. And this is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats. Maniac meets some incredible people in his quest for a home where he belongs.	Jumpstart Jumpstart is a nonprofit organization building literacy, language, social and initiative skills in children. You can register your 2-5 year old and receive monthly emails personalized to his/her age group, information on developmental milestones, recommended activities and books that support school readiness, and special topic emails with other relevant parenting information.