MACON, Ga. — The new school semester for the Bibb County School District starts Tuesday and, for some kids, this could be the first time in a classroom.
For many parents with younger kids, dropping them off for their first day can be hard. But how can parents let their guard down and help get their kids ready for that transition?
Bernd Elementary School Counselor Nakeisha Ray knows these first-day feelings can impact both kids and parents.
“Once they get in the building and start meeting their new teacher and friends, they usually calm down and they are okay," Ray said.
Ray offered some words of wisdom to parents and their kids.
“Just let go because they are going to be fine," Ray said. "They are in perfect hands, and we treat our students just like they are our own children, so they are in perfect hands.”
While families are still back-to-school shopping, we also shopped around to see what tips parents will pass down to these families. Krystal Lewis was more than happy to share some advice.
“The best example I’ve got is that they’re like popcorn," Lewis said. "They all pop at different times so they may not be learning as fast as the kid next to them, but they’re learning at the pace they’re supposed to.”
Lewis mentioned that for her, it's best to stay organized and be there for your kids. A big part of that is putting the phones down.
“If you can, allow yourself to just unplug," Lewis said. "Even if it’s 20 or 30 minutes a day, unplug and do whatever you need to do for you. If it’s a nice bath or sitting in the backyard just by yourself, just find some time to unplug.”
Ray said that parents should help their children adjust and teach them some coping strategies that will help them de-stress and deal with their emotions.
“It could be writing, it could be drawing, it could be listening to music, it could be just talking to someone, it could be breathing exercises, all those can really help your child," Ray said.
Most importantly, don't let technology cloud your kids' school experience.
“Get those phones out of their hand," Ray said. "Talk to them, see how their day went, go on a walk. These kids can get so fixated on these phones that socially they do not know how to get along with others or how to adapt to others because they haven't gotten a chance to learn.”
According to Scholastic Magazine, some advice for families to prepare for the new school year is:
1) Visit the school or classroom before the first day.
2) Read books about starting school
3) Plan goals to achieve throughout the school year