Guide For Parenting

Every year parents are faced with the back to school anxieties that come upon us as the August heat reminds us that it is almost that time of year again. Parents not only have to prepare themselves for another year of car-pooling, PTA meetings, weekly snacks, quirky schedules, and parent-teacher conferences, they must also prepare their children for the new school year and have any before and after school childcare worked out before the new year starts.

If you work during the day, have a responsible adult lined up to accompany your younger children to and from school everyday. This will avoid any last minute rush to come up with someone who you trust with your children. If possible, have the person you choose and your children run the routine that will be expected of them when school starts so that they can get an estimation of how long it will take them for transportation and remind them to add a few extra minutes to deal with the morning or afternoon traffic. Make sure your child feels comfortable with the person you have chosen for this responsibility, and that they are aware the chosen person will be staying with them until you return home from work. Children at this age need supervision for any amount of time that you won’t be in the house. Only children who are close to thirteen years of age should be a candidate for staying after school by themselves.

If for some reason throughout the school year, your child is left at home without an adult, make sure you have a schedule set up for them to adhere to. Set a certain time for them to call you, or their other parent, to let someone know they have arrived. Use this time to remind them about their homework and any other duties expected of them before you return from work. The busier you keep them, the less likely the chances of them getting into any trouble if they need to be left alone.