How Parents Can Prepare for the End of the School Year

Your kids have been hard at work, and let’s be honest, so have you! 2020 and 2021 were unique and challenging years for parents, students and teachers. School was not quite the same and now it is all coming to a close for the year. As we reach the end of the school year and teachers are wrapping up instruction and closing out their grade books, it’s time to think about transitioning your kids for summer. 

The end of the school year can bring jittery feelings of excitement and joy as kids get ready for summer break. Whether you have a busy summer lined up with activities and vacations, or a low-key summer break at home this year, let’s look at ways we can help our children (and ourselves) adjust to the next few months out of school. 

Establish an easy routine.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, routines are important! Having a good routine should be a backbone for every family. The key is establishing a routine that works for you as a parent AND your kids. Start each week with a plan and try to schedule things in advance on the calendar. It’s helpful to have a calendar that your kids can look at for a visual to temper their expectations for the week and look forward to special activities or weekend trips you have penciled in. One of the best things I’ve done in my house is using a large white board monthly calendar and marking important dates, family gatherings, birthdays, outings. Not only do I have a better picture of what is going on that month, but my 4 year old can see everything and it eases the amount of questions about what we’re going to do each day.

Celebrate your child’s accomplishments.

Most teachers will have a parent conference towards the end of the semester, and/or a progress report that goes home before final grades are set. Use this time to look at how much your child has learned this past year. If you’ve kept previous report cards or school work, you can take a look at what they were learning at the beginning of the year and show them all the improvements they made. This isn’t a practice that kids will do on their own, but it’s a great habit that encourages your child to look at their abilities and accomplishments and helps boost their confidence. You can also turn this into a learning opportunity for them to see how their hard work pays off and that practicing over time will help them to eventually be able to learn something new. 

Thank teachers and staff.

It’s always nice to end the school year with an attitude of gratitude. Now is a great time to instill habits of gratitude by practicing to show appreciation to teachers, staff and administration at your child’s school. Thank you cards or small gifts are a great way to show appreciation for staff members who have been faithfully serving throughout the school year, especially a school year that has been wildly different from usual years. This practice also helps build interpersonal skills and encourages your child to think about others, such as the school crossing guard, custodian, librarian, office clerk, school security, or playground supervisors. 

As you take time to thank different school staff members, use this moment to reflect on your child’s year and bring some closure as they end this chapter and say goodbye to their teacher and prepare for a new class the upcoming school year. Kids can sometimes be nervous, sad or excited this time of year. It’s perfectly normal to experience a range of emotions, especially through periods of transition. Embrace your child’s emotions and set a plan in motion, even if it’s a loose one! And lastly, take this summer to recharge and take a break, you deserve it!