B2S Tips – Boys and Girls Club of America Helps Students Go B2S with Supplies They Need

Each year, 1 million students fail to graduate high school.  Yikes!  That’s a scary statistic.  I’m honored to be an ambassador for Boys and Girls Club of America because they are helping to reduce that statistic and help today’s youth navigate the world of education.

Boys and Girls Club of America has partnered this year for another of my favorites – Disney!  Together they have launched an online supply drive.  Many children return to school this time of year without the supplies they need for success.  It’s easy and fun (and free!) to donate supplies – just go to the BGCA website and take a short quiz.  No worries, you don’t have to study!  If you get an answer wrong there are second (and third) chances.  Take a few minutes and help a kid!

Boys and Girls Club of America asked me to share some of my favorite Back to School Tips.  Rosie struggles with separation anxiety and I thought my tips would best address that issue.  If you have a little one who is struggling with homesickness and has trouble leaving home in the morning, I hope this will help!

• Establish a morning routine – Part of the reason that children are afraid to leave home and go to school is because they are facing the unknown.  They are familiar with home and feel comforted there.  School is a strange new world they are facing without the people they trust most – their mother or father.  If you have a morning routine, where you do a number of activities (eat breakfast, brush teeth, do hair) all in the same order at approximately the same time, it can take away some of the fear.
• Send a picture of you and/or pets to school with your child – We call them “pocket pictures”.  We use lockets and custom photo  pendants.  When my daughter gets homesick at school she can take out the pictures, or even just touch them in her pocket to make a connection with us.
• Before school starts, visit the classroom with your child and meet the teacher - Most schools have a “Meet and Greet”.  Make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce your child to their teacher, locate their desk, and become comfortable with the classroom surroundings.
• Enlist the help of the school staff - My daughter’s first year, it was the principal that would watch for her and greet her in the morning.  If Rosie had problems during the day, the principal would take her for a walk outside, let her sit in the office and color, and generally help calm her down.  Make sure the teacher knows that they may be a problem and ask the teacher who is the appropriate person to ask for help.
• Help your child know the daily schedule and when they will be going home – Part of the problem for very young children is that they don’t yet have a sense of time.  They don’t know if dismissal is very, very far away or in the next few minutes.  Ask your child’s teacher about the daily schedule and then help your child memorize the sequence.  For example, Rosie knew that she had Morning Work, Recess, Lunch, Special Classes, Reading, and Dismissal.  That gave her an idea of when dismissal was coming and more of a sense of security in knowing what would be happening through out the day.

Don’t forget, by taking just a minute or two and playing the game at the Boys and Girls Clubs of America website, you can help donate school supplies to local BGCA Clubs!  And it’s free!  While you’re there, take a look at the educational content for parents.  You may find more helpful back to school tips.

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating. #Tools4BTS