The start of school feels a lot like New Years! With new clothes, and clean notebooks there is a sense of a fresh new start in the air. The last few weeks can be a time for students to be thinking about resolutions for the new school year. That's why this is a good time to have some casual chats with those who are about to head back to school.
A lot of students gear up for the new school year. They feel excited to continue another successful year, or determined to make things different from how they went in the past. There is often anxiety as well. Will I fit in with all my friends after the summer? Will there be things that others want to do that I won't know how to do? It's often nice to have older and wiser input about how to approach the new things coming.
One way you can start these conversations is to talk about what you remember each year as school was about to start. Did you feel excited or anxious? Did you wonder about what the new year would bring? Were you faced with things that made you nervous, or did you experience something that made an impression when you were their age? (If you have an eye roller sitting next to you, just ignore it, and talk anyway. That's why side-by-side is much better than face-to-face.)
There are a couple of websites you might want to check out that talk about back to school talks. The first one is targeted at talking to girls, but quite frankly, the topics are not really gender specific. Check out this link on tonic.com to consider topics important for middle and high schoolers to be thinking about.
Of course as kids are getting older (starting no later than 7th grade), there are also thoughts and concerns about facing the opportunities for alcohol and drugs. The Partnership for a Drug Free America has a Tool Kit to help parents have those conversations. Back to school is a great time to have that conversation and review the family rules!
Once you've talked, make sure that you stay quiet and listen to what they have to say. Kids won't always respond immediately. It may be something that comes up hours, days or weeks later, but when they are ready to talk, make sure you let them know that you are listening.
For those heading back to school in the next few weeks -- have fun! For those waiting until after Labor Day, stay cool and have fun!
