Back to school – the parents’ role

[14 September 2009 - 10h04]
[mis à jour le 15 September 2009 à 10h02]

Once your children go back at school they have to adjust to their new way of life as best they can… But have you thought about the key role that you can play in making the start of the school year –which can often be a difficult time– easier for your child? He will, of course, be amassing a vast store of information, but days at school can be long and problems can soon appear: hygiene, punctuality, relationships with school friends, independent eating, etc.

A good day always begins with a substantial breakfast. Your child will have to “keep going” for over five hours before his next proper meal. And he’ll need all his intellectual faculties in good working order. So think about his sugar intake! Sugar is the principle brain food … but not the sort of sugar found in confectionery, which is quickly broken down by the body and stored in the form of fat, but the slow-release sugar found in certain cereals and in bread.

And this is where you can play a key role. You can help your child learn how to cope with life outside school, most importantly by instilling in him a regular routine. Good habits should be learned at an early age. While still in nursery school, your child should be in bed by eight o’clock in the evening, or half past eight at the latest. And at the start of secondary school, no later than nine o’clock. Video games and television should be kept to the weekends only.

School imposes a number of constraints on your child and homework and other obligations can lead to stress. So this is where you come in… you can comfort him by reducing the pressure and giving him your support and your love.

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