Anticipate in a positive way the beginning of the school year, be a motivating example with expressions about the arrival of the routine or respect the adaptation process of each child. These are some of the tips offered to parents and teachers by the University of Navarra psychologist Marta González de la Cámara, on the occasion of the "back to school". A total of 96,772 students will attend kindergarten, primary, secondary and high school program in Navarra this year.

"The summer months usually mean a break in the daily routine for both adults and children. It is possible that there is even a change of city, of environment, of people with whom they have lived and surely a change of schedules and daily habits", explains the expert.

The truth," he says, "is that, as with any change, a period of adaptation is usually necessary. This period can be more or less complicated for children. However, both parents and teachers can help children to make the return to the school year routine easier.

The researcher from the School of Education and Psychology also recommends parents "to have a progressive return to school, changing schedules a few days before; to have the summer homework done; to have the school material ready; and to pick up the little ones punctually during the first days of class".

Regarding teachers, he proposes "to anticipate to the children what will be worked on during the following weeks and months, to act as motivators for both parents and children with positive expressions and to progressively increase the level of demand".

"It is very important that there is good communication between parents and school, that they walk in the same direction and that special attention is paid from the school counseling service to children who take longer to 'go back to school', stresses the psychologist of the University of Navarra.

Some guidelines for parents to make it easier for children to go back to school:

• Help them to have a progressive return to school: it is advisable for parents to start changing routines and schedules progressively, for example, adjusting the children's bedtime and wake-up time from late August or early September to avoid sleep deprivation during the first few days. Thus, the child will go to high school in better psychological conditions.

• Anticipate in a positive way how the "back to school" will be: remind the little ones that they will see their friends again, that they will learn new things this year, remember funny anecdotes in the high school of the previous year, maybe they will meet new classmates... This will give them confidence for the new school year.

• Be a motivating example for the children: It is advisable not to say in front of them expressions such as "How lazy to go back to work", "Again to put up with my colleagues/boss", "How horrible it is to go back to routine"... Sometimes, for adults it is a great annoyance to finish the vacations, however, it should not be forgotten that parents are the greatest example for their children serving as model at all times. If children often hear these expressions, they will interpret the return to work and the activities of the course as something that makes them angry and sad, and they are more likely to experience it in a negative way.

• Get your summer homework done: It is advisable to do the homework throughout the summer. Do not financial aid anything to start the course with unfinished homework or do homework at the last minute in a hurry, that will only burden the child more.

• Have the school material ready: having textbooks, diary, notebooks and pens ready at the beginning of classes will facilitate the return to routine, since the child will be able to get organized and follow the lesson from the first day.

• Picking up children on time is very important, especially with children who are going to kindergarten or high school for the first time. Having never lived this experience, the child does not know when his parents will come to pick him up and punctuality will calm his anxiety. 

Some guidelines for teachers to make it easier for children to go back to school:

• Have patience with the adaptation process of each child: not all students have the same difficulty to return to the routine, each child has his or her own rhythm, so we must respect and facilitate the adaptation period of all of them. Do not trivialize the fact that it is difficult for a student child to return to the routine.

• Anticipate to the children what will be worked on during the following weeks and months: this will prepare them mentally and help them build a general idea of what is to come.

• Acting as motivators for the children: once again, negative expressions such as "let's see if this year you get your act together" or "this year you have to push harder because it will be more difficult" will only make the child feel pressure. In the same way, it is not convenient to say them to the parents, e.g.: "Let's see how X does this year". It is especially common to hear these expressions referring to children who find it difficult to go to high school.

• Increase the level of demand progressively: it is advisable to start by remembering the concepts that were learned the previous year and then increase the difficulty. The child's performance will be better if the level of demand is gradually increased both at class and at home when it comes to doing homework.