The main task of parents at the end of August is to prepare children for school, not only in terms of "equipment", but also in terms of psychology. During long vacations, children lose the ability to quickly concentrate on one lesson, their body tunes in to active pastime and "forgets" about lessons, books and desks.
On the first of September, the children run with joy not to school, but to a meeting with friends. But several days pass and fatigue falls on the schoolchildren, they are no longer in a hurry for classes, it is difficult to get them out of bed early in the morning. According to experts, this is how the "September 1 syndrome" is expressed. All schoolchildren, both first-graders and high school students, are subject to this "sore". The fact is that returning to classes after a vacation of 3 months is very stressful. Such factors provoke it:
- Fears that all the material studied in the past year has been forgotten.
- Fear of being rejected by the collective.
- Concerns about how the meeting with the teachers will turn out, whether some changes will be introduced that were not mentioned at the end of last year.
- Anxiety that the grades will decrease (after all, everything that was previously learned has been forgotten).
- The stress of a long separation from family - this syndrome is inherent, as a rule, in first graders and those who have changed schools.
Listen to your child. Why does he want to go to school at the end of August? He is eager to share his impressions of summer adventures, new acquaintances, seen and heard during the holidays. And none of the children dreams of getting down to textbooks and notebooks as soon as possible. Right?
At the end of the first week, the festive euphoria passes, all the news is told and learned. The child comes to the realization that the beginning of the school year has come, there is a lot of work ahead. And the "September 1 syndrome" comes! The task of parents is to smooth out this abrupt transition as much as possible, to ensure the comfortable preparation of children for school.
How to recognize the "enemy"
- The symptoms of September 1 syndrome are:
- nervousness and moodiness of the child,
- fatigue and refusal to obey parents,
- unwillingness to talk about school,
- the child has difficulty concentrating while completing school homework,
- restless sensitive sleep,
- loss of appetite or excessive desire to eat a lot and constantly, especially sweets,
- frequent complaints of headache.
During this difficult period for the child, one cannot accuse him of irresponsibility and laziness, scold him for low grades, compare with other children, humiliate and show impatience with his behavior. Not only the successful end of the school year, but also the life of your child depends on how the adaptation period of the beginning of the school year will pass - remember this.
How to ensure comfortable adaptation to new conditions
During the holidays, children are given maximum freedom, the regime is not respected, all the forces of parents, grandparents are aimed at ensuring that the child has a rest. Children very quickly and easily switch to this regime, but preparation for school causes negative emotions in them and loving parents try to push this “business” as far as possible.
Most of us believe that the child's psyche is rebuilt very quickly and 2-3 days will be enough for it to enter the working regime. But this is far from the case! A child needs 15-20 days to get ready for the start of the school year. The duration depends on the warehouse of character and temperament. Melancholic people are easily vulnerable, painfully experience even the slightest setbacks, but they hide strong emotions. Choleric people - violently express their mood, are eager to "fight", but quickly burn out and switch to another matter.
Particular attention should be paid to those children who overcome the milestone - go to the first grade, go to the 5th or 10th. The regime is changing, the teaching staff, the physical and emotional stress increases. It is important to be patient and show maximum tact to children during this period.
Always ready?
You need to start thinking about preparing children for school in the middle of the holidays. Let adherence and proper nutrition become companions of entertainment and fresh air. A month before the start of the school year, you need to gradually increase the sleep time - to put and wake the child earlier.
Reading books - let this activity become obligatory, but you cannot force it. Introduce daily reading of interesting literature, even online, but for the child to read. The child must choose the time on his own.
First graders - difficulties of the period
The beginning of the school year is most difficult for first-graders. There is no need to force the kid to study additionally after school. Do not insist on attending clubs and sections, let him walk a lot and play active games after school. But if a child wants to go to dance, wrestling, or painting classes, don't be discouraged. Just make sure that they do not tire or distract from the school curriculum.
