Back to School

CEBU, Philippines - Summer vacation and the merry month of May are behind us now.  The Mothers' Day roses have wilted. And the little angels of the sanctacruzan are now trooping back to school.

Parents have been so busy these past days rushing to the bookstores with a check list on hand of school requirements, uniforms, shoes, and what else school things to buy. There's just a lot to prepare. But just how do we get our little grade-schoolers ready for school?

Get them  early to bed.

You may have granted them an extra hour or two of TV or DVD time in summer. Now the kids have to get back to their usual school day "sleep time" schedule. They probably need a little time, but they will get back to it quickly. Well, the tossing and turning and counting sheep may be there initially but they'll overcome the phase before long. A glass of milk and a ten minute story telling at bedtime will help too.

Recycle and re-use to economize.

This isn't done only for the environment. As once school kids ourselves, we parents were told to re-use and recycle non-consumable school items like pencil boxes, rulers, punchers, heavy-duty sharpeners and the like. It's time to pass on the wisdom to our own children.

Do some prep talk.

Reminding kids what is expected of them during the new school year can help them develop a sense of responsibility. Schedules for doing home works and school projects may be established early on, as well as reminding the little one not to make paper planes from clean bond papers.

Involve them in the preparations.

Preparing for another school year could be a great family bonding activity. Let the kids check the cabinets and make an inventory of their school uniforms, which pieces need altering (as they may have grown an inch or two during summer) or mending or those with missing buttons. Younger kids may just have to inherit the outgrown uniforms of older siblings; or, if not, some things may have to be given away to neighborhood kids or relatives.

Create a "School Corner."

My seven-year-old daughter now fancies keeping all her stuff in one corner. Create such space in a quite or less busy area in the house where to keep all school related materials. Better if there's also space nearby where the kids can do their school assignments. A "school corner" will make it quite easy to find school things, and avoid pencils and crayons and pieces of paper from spreading everywhere. Everyone just knows where to go to find the glue or the stapler.

Have a fancy knickknack keeper.

Odds and ends, cut-out colored papers, ribbons, buttons, and the like can still be used as decorative materials for school projects. Allot a space in your "school corner" where all these can be kept, preferably in an old open wooden rack or shelf. It should be in full view and easy to reach. (FREEMAN)