![4 tips from China on the back-to-school transitionFor the past two years, Highlights has been publishing High Five magazine in China, written entirely in Chinese. Recently, during a visit to Changsha and Beijing I had the chance to observe the exciting and nerve-wracking experience of preparing kindergarten children to head off to school for the first time.
Even on the other side of the world, many school traditions felt familiar to me. In China, the school year starts September 1. Children ages 2 through 5 enter kindergarten/pre-school programs. The curriculum looks similar to many U.S. schools: reading, art, sports and more. Many schools also include language learning in both Chinese and English.
[[MORE]]As part of my visit, I sat in on a kindergarten preparation class designed to help parents manage their expectations of and anxieties about bringing their children to school for the first time.
Tips from the class in China included:
Successfully manage the drop-off and pick-up transitions. (Give your children big hugs, introduce them to their teachers and leave promptly.)
Read to your children every day to help them create a love of reading.
Create an environment of love around your children as they grow, learn and experiment.
Play and interact with your children in meaningful ways.
Although this class was delivered in Changsha, China, entirely in Chinese, I was struck by how similar it—and the parents—were to those back in the United States. When my son and daughter were entering school for the first time, my wife and I worried about managing drop-off and pick-up. And we’ve always strived to read to our children and instill a sense of love and warmth in our home. Luckily, our local elementary here in Ohio offered a similar kindergarten introduction and expectation session, helping to ease our fears and guide us through such a momentous time.
What stories from the first day of kindergarten do you have to share? Whether they are from the U.S. or abroad, it will be interesting to see just how similar all our stories really are.
—Andy Shafran
VP International, Highlights for Children](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9w5sdFH5X1rcctw2o1_r1_500.jpg)
4 tips from China on the back-to-school transition
For the past two years, Highlights has been publishing High Five magazine in China, written entirely in Chinese. Recently, during a visit to Changsha and Beijing I had the chance to observe the exciting and nerve-wracking experience of preparing kindergarten children to head off to school for the first time.
Even on the other side of the world, many school traditions felt familiar to me. In China, the school year starts September 1. Children ages 2 through 5 enter kindergarten/pre-school programs. The curriculum looks similar to many U.S. schools: reading, art, sports and more. Many schools also include language learning in both Chinese and English.
![How have you shed the school lunch straitjacket? “Your boys are so much alike!” People say this to me all the time, and I know they’re talking about the round faces, the blue eyes and all those freckles. In reality, our three sons have very different personalities, and mostly my husband and I are happy to encourage their individual interests and tastes. Mostly. Except in September, when we are buying new clothes for the school year. Except every morning that I make school lunches. If you asked me to draw a Venn diagram of what my kids wear and eat, I’d just draw you three separate circles. And then you’d laugh, and I’d cry.
Photo courtesy of: Stock Free Images
Posted By Mary Alice Moore[[MORE]]My middle child has a sixth sense for cool (and, yes, I believe it’s an inborn trait), which means he has definite opinions about what he wears. So you might think he’d be the hardest one to shop for. But actually, although we argue about the price of the fancy sneakers he loves so much, he knows exactly what he wants—by store, brand and color. No, what’s harder is that my oldest son wants clothing with absolutely no brand markings. Whatsoever. “Plain clothes that don’t attract attention,“ he says, as if that’s helpful. It’s hard enough to find boys’ clothes without sports themes orinsignia, but I challenge you to find Plain Black Sneakers. Did you know that black and gray sneakers could be too flashy? Me, neither. For my youngest, it’s all about how things feel. Tags, seams, invisible itchy things: these are the bane of my existence. Watching him try something on is more nerve wracking than watching the Olympics. I lean forward, full of hope and panic. I try to seem nonchalant. Then, that freckled nose wrinkles slightly, those bony shoulders shrug upward just so, and he utters the words I dread most: “I don’t know….it just feels funny.”
Making school lunches stresses me out more than it probably should, because I am trying to get myself out of the house, too, and usually I’m standing there with wet hair and no makeup, trying to remember who’s white bread and who’s wheat, who likes mustard and who doesn’t eat lettuce. I know what you’re thinking: make the lunches at night when you’re not rushed; or better yet, have the kids make their own lunches. I know. And I should exercise more and eat less.
To each his own. Variety is the spice of life. No two people are exactly alike. I tell myself these things, when I’m wandering desperately around the Boys’ Department, or racing out the door with damp hair and streaked mascara. But sometimes it would be nice if the circles overlapped—just a little bit. What about you? Have you noticed that kids who share an awful lot of DNA don’t seem to share the same taste in much of anything? Do you have any tips or tricks to spare? (Though, clearly, I’m not that good at following advice.)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99krsjRjC1rcctw2o1_500.jpg)
![Calming Back-to-School Jitters When I was going into third grade, I remember being nervous about my new teacher, Mrs. Tone. Older kids had said that she yelled a lot, and my friends and I were worried. It turned out that all of my hand-wringing was for nothing. Mrs. Tone became one of my favorite teachers of all time. It was true—she did yell a lot! But her yelling was never malicious, and she laughed a lot, too. (Older kids would never tell you that.) Mrs. Tone was lively and exuberant and just wanted so much for us to learn and to succeed.
Photo courtesy of: Christopherhall | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
Posted By Judy Burke[[MORE]]Going back to school is a stressful time for kids. Worries about the unknown start to weigh on their minds.Every year at Highlights, we receive—and answer—thousands of letters and e-mails from kids. Now that it’s August, we’re seeing a flood of back-to-school concerns. “What if I can’t keep up with the work in my new grade?” “I’ve never had to switch classes before, and I’m scared.” “My best friend and I are in different homerooms. What will we do?”
In our responses, we try to build kids’ confidence. We reassure kids that the grade they just finished has prepared them for the grade they’re about to enter. We remind them that they won’t be alone—all of their classmates will be in the same boat, with the same worries. We encourage them to have a positive attitude and to expect good things to happen.
Making friends is a huge part of the school experience.We tell kids to smile often, to say hi to others,to be kindand to laugh about the little things. A smile or a laugh puts everyone at ease. What better “friend magnet” is there?
We suggest that kids join clubs and sports, and we ask kids to keep an open mind when it comes to making friends. We tell them that friendship is like a boomerang—when you’re friendly to others, others will be friendly to you.
And as always, we point kids toward parents and other trusted adults for advice. After all, you know your kids better than anyone. How do you calm their back-to-school worries? What tips do you share? We’d love to hear about them.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8v2bucWqD1rcctw2o1_500.jpg)
