Back To School Tips

Back To School Tips

As summer vacations and track breaks come to an end, children and teens are preparing themselves for returning back to school. Some very excited and others very nervous. It could be some are brand new students and others are not prepared to return. The nervous one are maybe because they are not prepare for school due not having school clothes or supplies and others did not want the summer to come to an end.

There are organizations in most communities such as the Salvation Army (salvationarmyusa.org), Lutheran Church Groups (lutheranservices.org), and the Catholic Charities (catholiccharitiesusa.org) that can assist with the school items and clothing. You can also get great purchases through Ebay.com.

Parents of all children must understand and teach their children about caring and respecting one another instead of ridiculing a child for wearing worn out tennis shoes or having to borrow sheets of paper every time the teacher says they need to take notes. Its important to teach that one brand is not any better than the other, this would alleviate some of the pain that some children go through each school year when they do not have the right clothing or school supplies. This will also significantly reduce the drop out rate and the absenteeism in schools. If a child / teen is not prepared with these items specially clothing it could be very detrimental on them mentally and affect their school behavior and academics. Now, there are those students that still make it through school without some of these items because of determination within themselves to make it and others because they have strong support at home and have an understanding even though its hard at times. The material appearance is not all that important. It would be good if all our schools would support a uniform attire, the students would only have to worry about is getting to school, getting an education and learning to be personable, learn to have good character traits and it will not be based on their clothes or cars or other items.

Planning is very important. Walmart.com, Target.com, JC Penney.com carries variety of clothing at great prices an most of the time are on sales. Some school supplies can be bought on line and some even have free shipping. Textbooks,

iPod + MP3 Players, ASUS Eee PC 2GB Surf 7" Mini Notebook Computers, Griffin iPod RoadTrip - 4030-Road, Backpacks great ones for young students with complete with lunch bag (Hannah Montana Backpack with Lunch Bag - Purple) that will save you from purchasing two different items. Bicycles, helmets, Carry on bags and certain types of art supplies can all be purchased ahead of time for high school or college students. For books I have had great experiences with Amazon.com. Again, plan ahead, one tip is look on line for the clothes needed, present it to the kids, make a list then print it out and go to the stores, try them on and stay to the list and cost. Kids are happy they got what they chose and you maintained your budget.

Parents need to support their schools and the teachers. Communication and participation in the students’ education is very important. Now lets get to some important information that you will need to equipped yourself with, here are some helpful tips:

Medical check-ups

First time students may need a complete medical check-up to include immunizations. Immunizations are the required injections to prevent and /or identify any childhood illness and possibly prevent the spreading if not vaccinated to other persons. Make sure you schedule an appointment with the doctor in time before school starts as the clinics do get busy during these times. Your local health department can also provide these services for a nominal fee or free of charge for those with no income. Once your child is immunized they will give you a card or immunization card to keep your child’s record. Failure to keep or maintain the records or immunizations up to date can result in the student not able to attend school. Also children that are participation in sports will also need a physical and medical or sport injury insurance to cover them for any injury while in school or while participating in sports. If the parent has health insurance coverage through their employer check and verify that the child is covered for the school requirements.

Nutrition and Rest

Make sure the child or teen gets a good nights sleep not just the first night but every night if possible. This will reduce some health and behavioral problems. Preteens need about 8-9 hours of sleep, younger ages 6-8 hours. Do not have the child or teen eat heavy meals before bed, or consume caffeinated drinks. This will help in getting a good nights rest.

Nutrition is very important. Students need to have breakfast every morning to provide the proper nutrients for energy and keep a healthy immune system. Prepare healthy lunches, and keep a close eye on your childs eating habits to monitor any changes to prevent problems. When packing lunches prevent sugary or prepackage snacks. Its not always easy preventing or changing the way your kids eat, but carefully planned meals overtime the change will happen.

Planning ahead is the key. Packing a variety each day of fruits, yogurts, vegetables will help the kids from getting bored of theirs meals.

Supplies

Pencils, Pens, Highlighters, Note pads with dividers, 3 Ring Binders, Erasers, Ruler, Bicycle, Bicycle helmet, Reams of note book paper,Backpack with wheels

Lets talk about safety and the weight that children carry around nowadays.

For younger students pack light as they do not have lockers to place their items in. For older students select a good solid backpack that has padded shoulder pads and cushion back support, even better if it has wheels. The backpack should not be more that 20% of the students weight. Make sure the student carries the weight evenly by using both shoulder straps.

Transportation and Daycare

Most students nation wide will ride the school bus, public bus, ride a bike or walk to school. Its important that parents review with their children few instructions to ensure they get to school and back safely.

Walk to the bus stop or to school with a friend. Get to the bus stop on time, stay on the side walk do not go on the street or street curb. Follow and listen to the bus drivers instructions. When riding their bicycle they must always wear helmet.

You can also arrange a teen or adult to walk the child for you. Teenagers that attend school at later hours or they walk the same route to their school as your child, can walk or accompany your child to school. You can reward them for assisting you with your child by giving them a gift card, I easily purchase them through Amazon.com, by e-mail for immediate delivery, printing at home, send in the e-mail. Also popular books can be great gifts. One good item I have found is the Harry Potter series, or the new and upcoming which I have prepared for gifts for babysitters and such is The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, they have always appreciated such gifts.

Teen drivers need to carry auto insurance coverage, be a cautious driver by being alert and not using cellular telephone while driving or adjusting the volume on the radio as this will cause distraction, as well as having too many teen passengers in the vehicle.

Helpful websites:

• Vaccinations and schedules - cdc.gov/vaccines
• Safety - nhtsa.gov/
• Application for Federal Student Aid / loans - FAFSA.com
• Department Motor Vehicles - nv.dmv.org
• Comunities Services - salvationarmyusa.org