Back to school is tough!

Back to school can be tough.  If your like me you love having your child home over the summer but dread having to do all things necessary to get them ready for the new school year.  Children often have the same anxiety and it is important to recognize the emotions and challenges they face as they transition back to school.  Most children are pretty excited about the first day experience and in about two weeks it can get much harder to motivate your child to go to school.  I often notice that when the routine and grind of school starts to set in that is important the dialogue between myself and my daughter ramps up.  I give her the space and time to express herself as we drive to and from school each day.   The opportunity for my daughter to speak freely and not worry about any judgement is important for both of us.  It allows me to see things from her perspective and really understand what affects her and what inspires her.  I always want to put my two cents in but that is where I try to guide or ask open ended questions to see how she would handle things.  Not surprising she is  right on track with making sound choices.   The issue's and challenges she is stuck trying to figure out I let her take the lead and bounce ideas off each other to solve the problems.   I have to trust my daughter to make choices for herself when I can't be there.  Giving her the space to fail and the wisdom to recover is worth more to her future than a car ride lecture anytime.  Until next time Master T