Sadly, life isn’t all birthday parties and frivolous summer fun. Or, as the saying goes, ‘all good things must come to an end’. I don’t know about you, but I always get caught fairly unprepared when school starts up after the summer vacation, and I imagine the kids do too unless they’re mentally prepared for the change.
Add this to the really distressing statistics I read in the New York Times last week or so about how very much learning goes straight down the pool drain during summer vacation. Even worse, it’s the economically less advantaged kids that lose the most and have the most to lose. But whatever risk category your kids are in, it’s a good idea to get them ready for learning before the first bell rings so they at least get off to a running start.
To that end, parentdish.com has a Back to School Countdown Calendar for you and your family that covers a lot of ground. Reminders of things for parents to do as well as things to get the kids into the school year mind set. Things like getting books out of the library about going back to school, carefully choosing those lunchboxes and backpacks (always a huge decision for the younger ones), getting your high schoolers SAT and other testing dates on your calendar, and lots, lots more. I strongly encourage you to read the article and take appropriate action in your house.
I digress from birthday party subject matter when I find parent tips and kids tips that I think will benefit my parent audience.
