4 Tips for a Successful New Year
Happy New Year from your friends at Kumon! We wish you the best for 2017 and hope you are well-rested from the holidays.
Now that you and your family are about to trade PJs for work and school clothes, and get back into the weekday hustle, we wanted to share some of our favourite, yet simple tips to help ease you back into routine. While it’s never fun for vacation to be over, at the very least it’s helpful to be prepared. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start your week:
Tip 1: Get Organized
Avoid morning chaos by getting organized the night before. Stage a household clean up and have some fun out of it – play music and dance! Put away any unnecessary holiday clutter and help your child pack their school bag. It also helps to have outfits planned in advance and meals packed in the fridge. Whenever you can, have your child help out – it’s important to have them involved in the weekday prep!
Tip 2: Make Reading Routine
Perhaps you’ve already started a great book over the holidays, or received a good stack from Santa! Establish a reading routine with your child and let them select a few of their favourites. You’ve likely enjoyed some quality down time over the break – keep this up by setting aside reading time for the whole family!
Tip 3: Make Math Fun
Chances are, your child isn’t too excited about returning to math class. Incorporate some math into everyday activities like cooking, baking or meal prep. By assigning your child some easy helper tasks, you can also ask them to work out simple measurements and quantities. And while you’re waiting for fresh baked cookies, talk to them about time – how many minutes have they been baking if you set a timer at 20 and have 5 left to go?
Tip 4: Reinforce the Benefits
Finally, for some children, going back to school may cause anxiety. Talk to them throughout the school week about their concerns and what they are looking forward to at school. Help them to set personal goals by establishing what they enjoy and want to do more of. And remind them that it’s important to have fun while learning!
With these tips in mind, we wish you a smooth transition back from the break. How do you jump-start progress in a new year? Let us know in the comments below!
Don’t know what book to choose your child’s reading level? Have a look at our favourite reads here!