More Back to School Tips For Tweens

We’re following up on our first post about back to school tips for tweens. We know it’s that time of year – school starts in less than a month in some parts of the country, and while your daughter is still thinking of blue skies and beaches, you’re thinking of classrooms and homework. Help her get a head start on back to school with some of these tips:

Reader Raffi sent in this tip: “I also have my daughters call their friends 2 weeks before school starts to find out which teachers they have in common. Our school mails that out in advance and our phone starts to light up!” While your daughter and her friends can plan their schedules and commiserate over teacher assignments, you’ll want to scope out your daughter’s teachers as well. Use the mom network to find out what you can about them (Neatness counts, or loves oral reports) and help your daughter get prepped so she knows what to expect.

Deal with the “I don’t want to go to school blues” – Not every girl loves school or is a natural at it. Some may actually dread the school part of going back to school. Others may be fine with the classroom but fear what will happen to them in the cafeteria. (I remember my first day of middle school – a desire to take a journalism class had left me with an odd lunch period – separated from the rest of our class, one other girl and I suffered hazing from the big kids…we survived, cause she had a few ready comebacks up her sleeve)

Don’t just reply with you have to or else mommy gets in a lot of trouble. Try to talk her through to the root of the problem – keep digging (gently) until you get to the bottom of it. If she’s afraid of summer ending, remind her of any parts of school she did like and and let her focus on the happy aspects. We all need to get used to the idea that things end and new ones begin. If she’s afraid of the work, don’t shrug it off. Promise to help her find a way to overcome the issues, like looking for extra tutoring, or working with her on keeping her homework organized.

If your daughter is afraid that she’ll have no friends, have to meet new ones, or is afraid of being bullied, don’t dismiss her fears. If she was the victim of bullying last year, that might be all she remembers. Like the tip from Raffi, help her re-connect with friends and plan out a first day meeting plan (meet at lockers, arrange to sit together at lunch, or even a quick get together after school so there is something to look forward to.)

While the thought of September and back to school might make you dance for joy, it’s more than likely your daughter has some mixed emotions, so try to honor her feelings and communicate openly about how she’s feeling. Don’t just shut her concerns down with a pat answer, like, “Everyone has to go school”. Even though it’s true, she’ll feel your empathy when you help her walk through what’s really bothering her – and help her find a way to deal with it.

Good luck and post some more of your tips for handling Back to School time.