Dear Dads,
I hope that you were able to take time to spend quality time with your children this summer. We’re only gifted 18 of them with our children at home, typically, before they go off to explore who they’re going to be as adults. This is time to savor, and make core memories that they’ll share throughout their lives.
However, easy summer living isn’t the focus of our post today! It’s about segueing into the next season: Going back to school.
Your children will each feel a different way about starting a new school year; one may be excited, while the other is nervous, or some of you may have children that are even nonchalant about a new grade. Whatever they are expressing externally, remember that they are going through a season of change as they start something new.
Now is the time to offer unwavering support, without dismissing their concerns. Change can be hard on us all, let alone when we’re young and don’t have the words or skills to express it properly. Look for the non-verbal cues that your children offer that might express how they’re feeling; picking or biting nails, chewing the inside of their mouths, or getting upset about seemingly unrelated topics might be clues they have something they want to talk about.
Make sure to talk about the new school year, and what it will look like for them. For young children, walk by their school to see if they can take a tour of the school so they know what to expect. For older ones, talk about their teachers, and how they’re feeling about new subjects. Keep the dialogue open, and do more listening than talking.
Let’s get ready to give our kids the best start they can to a new school year with an open ear, and open heart.
Best wishes to all of your children as they start the new school year, and their newest adventure.
Chris
