The Back-to-School Checklist No Parent Should Forget

This isn’t going to be a back-to-school checklist full of supply lists or scheduling recommendations. While those things are important, we believe that fostering a resilient, strong brain is THE top need our children have in today’s school system. They are constantly faced with an onslaught of information, peer pressure, stress, and busy-ness, and if their brain is not primed and ready to handle this stress and bounce back from it, they are going to struggle. As you approach this back to school season, here are 4 key things to make sure you’re doing:

Finding Areas of Connection in the Midst of Busy Back-to-School Changes

Connection with a parent figure is a critical part of healthy development in childhood. Take the time to sit down with your child and have a conversation about their passions, hobbies, and what they enjoy learning about. Then, explore how these interests can be integrated into your schedule through the school year. It’s crucial that they see you sharing an interest with them and validating their abilities in these things they love.

Even just 10 minutes of focused time each day doing something your child loves can go a long way towards building a connected relationship.

Nurturing Competence

Another essential element in supporting your child’s success at school is nurturing their sense of competence. Find the things your child is good at—and foster their interest in those things! Kids are often worn down by the stress of school. Making sure they have something they feel successful at can translate into greater confidence and perseverance in all areas of life. Some ways to do this include:

• Staggering hard tasks (like homework) between the things your child is good at
• Helping your kids develop a growth mindset by emphasizing the importance of effort, perseverance, and learning from mistakes. 
• Encouraging them to set realistic goals and celebrate their achievements, both big and small.

By fostering a sense of competence, you are empowering your child to believe in their abilities and tackle challenges with confidence.

Practicing Coregulation and Modeling Healthy Stress Responses

The school environment can often be overwhelming and stressful for children. As a parent, it is crucial to teach your child how to manage stress and regulate their emotions effectively. 

Coregulation is the process of supporting your child’s emotional regulation by providing them with a safe and understanding environment. Encourage open communication, active listening, and empathy within your family. Help your child develop healthy coping mechanisms such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, or engaging in physical activities they enjoy. 

Additionally, model healthy stress responses yourself by demonstrating resilience, problem-solving, and seeking support when needed. By practicing coregulation and modeling healthy stress responses, you are equipping your child with valuable skills to navigate the challenges they may encounter during the school year.

Get Back-to-School Ready by Building Cognitive Skills

Finally, it is vital to focus on building and enhancing your child’s cognitive skills. These skills form the foundation for effective learning and problem-solving. If even one of these skills is weak, learning, focusing, reading, and remembering are going to be harder than they need to be.

If there’s one thing that we could recommend you do before the new school year really gets going, it’s this: assess your child’s cognitive skills.

You wouldn’t go on a long road trip with a flat tire. But for many kids, this is how they’re limping through the school year. They get by, accommodations move them forward, but the issue doesn’t go away. 

Equipping your child with the skills they need to think and learn effectively is a root-cause approach to learning struggles that empowers them to experience greater success. Cognitive training fine-tunes ALL of the core learning skills so you can see growth in a variety of contexts and subject areas.

Click here to contact us about scheduling an assessment today >>