By Christine Murray, HRI Director
Tomorrow, most students in Guilford County’s public schools will return to school for the new school year. Back-to-school season can bring a lot of excitement–and also a lot of stress–for students and their parents! As the slower pace of summer gives way to the busy-ness of a new school year, it’s normal for families to struggle with all the transitions that take place in a short period of time.
When children start a new grade level–and maybe even at a new school–both students and parents can feel uncertain about what to expect. There are a lot of unknowns at the start of every school year: How hard will the school work and homework be this year? What will my schedule be like? How will friendships change from last year? And, how can we balance all the demands on our time and energy this coming year?
Our HRI blog series this week will focus on ways families can work together to get this school year off to a great start. We know this is already a busy week, so we encourage you to take just a few moments of downtime each day to relax and reflect on your hopes for the year ahead. Below are a few questions you might take time to think about or discuss with your family as you ease into the new school year this week:
- What are you most excited about for this new school year?
- What are you most nervous about for this new school year?
- What do you think will be the most different this year as compared to last year?
- How do you want to balance your family’s time this school year?
- What sources of support can you depend upon as the school year gets underway?
- What strategies can you use to cope with stress when it comes up this school year?
- What are your most important goals for the year ahead, and how could your family members support you in reaching these goals?
A thoughtful and intentional approach to beginning the school year can help you and your family get the year off to a great start. Stay tuned to HRI all week for additional resources and tips for starting strong this school year!