Family Wellness Tip

The Demands

The demands of the school day can be a lot for most kids to get used to. As they move to the next grade, they are expected to learn and do more. Kids, like all people, want the easiest way out. It's normal. That's why they gave it a name..."The Path of Least Resistance". It's true, we often turn down that path AND it's not always the best way. Kids need to learn to deal with the demands of school. This gets them ready to deal with life struggles and work demands. Grit is something they have to learn early, in safe ways. Grit will grow and they will become more confident. We want them to struggle and know they can work through it. Help them prepare for the demands of school before they return. Or for our older ones, help them prepare for the new demands of college or work.

Everyone needs to know what they're getting into. Help set kids up for success.

  1. Grade Move

    • It's always nice to keep up on knowledge through the summer. Learning camps. Workbooks. Learning projects. I know this doesn't always work as planned. Some ways to get them thinking about the next grade and what it brings is to email or talk to the teacher. Look through some books and workbooks to see what things could look like. Watch some videos on YouTube about the next grade's classroom, good and not so great. Help them see what others are going through at that age, personally and academically.

  2. School Change

    • Ahhhh...the move to middle or high school. Kids, older siblings or not, are not sure how the next school is going to go. This can create lots of anxiety or excitement, or as my kids says nervoucited (nervous and excited rolled into 1). Just seeing the lay of the land is very helpful. Meeting teachers and staff is more helpful. Talking to teachers and siblings about what class and homework will look like. This is key. This will help them prepare. This will be a great time to let them fire questions, no matter how silly, about what life will look like. Classwork. Social life. Remember, most questions will be about social stuff. They might need some help to ask questions about workload. Will I have enough time between classes? Is this teacher mean? Is that class hard? Do I have to shower after PE? What does lunch look like?

  3. College

    • This change has been a little easier for kids now that we have running start. The demands at the University or Trade School can be more intense than high school. Kids have to be independent. Kids have to be self-motivated. Kids have to be brave to have class discussions and ask questions. They have to want to learn and be willing to do ALL the work it takes to be ready for class. This is where you will be helpful. You can share your experiences with classes after high school. One of the best things is to take a tour of the school. This will allow your child to see what school is like. This will allow them to ask questions about work demands and social life. This will allow them to go into the bookstore to see what types of books they'll need and supplies that are helpful. This will also allow them to buy clothes or trinkets with their school name on it, helping them feel connected to their new home away from home. It will also help them see other new kids that are in the same boat.

  4. Job

    • Oh man. This can be a tough one. So many rules to follow. So many expectations. Demands by the owners. Demands by the customers. It can be hard to manage. It can be easy to feel overconfident then quickly down on yourself because you have no idea what to do. Jobs are a great time for kids to learn a whole new set of rules. They are told what to do, how to do it, and what they need to wear. Sometimes they fight against it. Sometimes they surprise the heck out of you and are the best employee. You knew it could happen but weren't quite sure because they still can't take out the trash when asked. First, before they get the job. They have to convince someone they can do it. They have to fill out the application THEN interview. They will probably need help with both. Learning how to re-word things to sound better. Practice how to answer questions that could be asked. Wear the right thing to impress at the interview. NOW they actually have to do the job. Show up on time. Look good in the uniform (clean, not a lot of wrinkles). Pay close attention to the training. Follow procedures. Be friendly with co-workers. Balance getting the job done well, being kind to customers, and enjoying the people around you. Work hard. Make yourself proud.

As usual, these are only a few bits of how to prepare your kids for the demands of work at school or on the job. Help them know what to expect. Help them find out how to get the information on their own. Our job is to prep them, then get out of the way and watch them go. Step in when they need support, then step back and let them experience life. You can do this. They can do this...with your help.