After a summer of sun and fun, students are just days away from heading back to school.
It is a particularly fun week for students of all ages.
The very young will get a chance at junior kindergarten, some will change schools as they advance to new grades and others yet will leave high school behind and enter post-secondary schools, whether it be college or university.
For many parents the end of summer holidays will allow schedules to return to normal.
Even though a routine will soon fall into place, the first few days will be fraught with helping kids cope with not sleeping in and getting off to a good start.
It is important that parents remember to listen a little better during this start to school. Particularly for those going to a new school, or those entering high school, there will be an incredible period of adjustment.
Way back when the only worries for kids were who had Levis and Nike shoes. Now, it’s all about name brands, tech savvy vocabularies and gadgets. It’s a lot of pressure and hopefully parents or older siblings can help through this period as students find their place in a new school.
There will be letdowns too. After summer holidays, there will be a few surprises as kids mature and others get into social scenes that they had previously avoided.
Friendships will change too, as students go off in new directions, gain new interests and start to envision what their future holds. All family can do is help kids enjoy the ride and understand that the gigantic issues associated with growing up are not always as big as they seem. There are fun times ahead.
With the cancellation of grade 13, more students are off to university and college at a younger age. This isn’t the easiest transition either, but with email and FaceTime or Skype, family can easily keep in touch. Independence is of course the largest part of this life experience.
After another summer of unrest for educators and legislators, hopefully everyone can get off to a good start this fall.
In all the excitement, drivers are reminded to be extra aware of bikes and pedestrians, as kids head off to school again.
