Once all the back to school shopping is done, the new clothes are laid out; everything seems set for the new school year. As all parents know, the first week back at school can still be full of surprises, in spite of all our planning over the last weeks of summer. Here are a few back to school ideas you could try, to prepare for that first week back:

Communicate with the teacher: If you feel there is any information that would be useful for the teacher to have, write a simple note and send it with your child on the first day of school. This will help calm your child’s fears if any, and also help the teacher know what to expect. It would be great if the lesson plans for the first week back could be shared with you.

Try to meet classmates: If you have an idea of whom your child’s classmates are going to be, try to set up play-dates with some of them in the weeks before school starts. In this way, when school starts, there will be some familiar faces for your child to look forward to meeting. Get a health check-up done: Make sure that your child has had all the necessary check-ups for her age, and in case of any allergy or other relevant medical information like Asthma, make cards for your child to keep on her person, as well as send along the information to the school nurse or whoever else is responsible. Plan lunches for the week: One of the biggest stress factors on school mornings can be packing the lunches, if you aren’t prepared for it. Plan a lunch menu with your child for the week. Try to get it ready and in the fridge the previous night. If not, get all the components ready so that you just have to put it together in the morning. This saves a lot of time, and you can concentrate better on your child rather than the food. If your child eats lunch at school, here are some interesting ideas from Huffington Post for school lunches. Be ready to listen: Especially at times of transition such as starting middle or high school, your child will have a lot of information to process and understand and will want to discuss many of these with you, but only if you keep your ears open. It is very important that your child understands that you are always ready to listen without being judgmental, as this is the only way they will keep sharing with you as they keep growing up. A great way to supplement what your child learns at school is by sending him to Abacus and English classes by Aloha USA. Please check our website for more details: http://www.aloha-usa.com Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/aloha.usa and on Twitter: @AlohaKidsMath for constant updates and tips for your child’s education and development. Photo Courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tabor-roeder/6085668928/