Parents and children are experiencing a variety of emotions when they think about going back to school. Yes, the free days of Summer structure end and the punctuality of classes begins. This blog post will help you ease your worries! When you finish reading this publication, you and your child will be ready to transition back to school with confidence. You will have practical tips that can be used right away to support your child and give them peace as the school year begins.

To help, I wanted to give you an educator’s perspective on the transition back to school. I interviewed Beverly Black, an award-winning educator, whom I describe as a “brain engineer” for her success educating young minds in one of the best performing school systems in the Americas; to share your ideas. These are three keys that you want parents to know.

Key # 1: Encourage your child’s gifts by speaking words of affirmation.. Many parents come from different skill sets and experiences. It is important to realize that as parents they may not have grown up with affirmative parents, that does not mean they were terrible parents; however, children thrive in environments that affirm them. Ms. Black confidently shared that parents are their children’s first teachers and advocates. In addition, he explained that children need to know that there are people who love them unconditionally. Ms. Black described parenting as a “24/7” responsibility, making parents their children’s teachers rather than wanting or not. She reminds parents that their children are looking at them even when they think they are not.

Key # 2: Collaboration; When your child enrolls in school, it is a collaborative effort between the parent, the teacher, and the student. “All three work together for the child’s success. Parents can help their children by instilling in them the concept of collaboration, we are all in this together and we are all going to work together (education). As an educator, Ms. Black expressed her belief that parents send their children to school for the purpose of “learning” and, in general, teachers are committed to fulfilling their role in that purpose. She detailed a strategy that parents can use to facilitate collaboration.

  • Come to the table with an open mind.

  • Be curious. Have questions and ask the teacher questions.

  • Encourage student leader conferences, which help students build self-esteem, develop problem-solving skills, and expand their vocabulary.

Key # 3: Sleep sleep sleep; it is critical to helping children succeed in school. Ms. Black has seen the devastating impact sleep deprivation has on students, stating “If you don’t sleep, you’re not going to work at your optimum level.” Sleep is very important and impacts the way children learn, their ability to concentrate, and their behavior. Ms. Black shared that students are giving up sleep to play games on their electronic devices, resulting in a student with unfocused sleep.

As I spoke with this dynamic educator, I was reminded that educators are “brain engineers.” Many parents are looking online for tips to help them during this transition back to school. What I have found is that many of these tips lose the connection between the brain and success. However, the three keys shared on this blog align with the advanced brain knowledge used by the top 1% of parents. Did you know that parents and children are connecting better thanks to the neuroscience of affirmations, collaboration and sleep?

Many parents are only using limited knowledge to help their children transition back to school. Imagine how different things would be if parents used brain-based strategies to help their children excel. That’s why I put together a free webinar outlining five brain hacks advanced parents are using to make sure their kids are set for back-to-school success. You can watch the webinar here. Stay connected and join the Whole Brain Parent Leadership Academy for practical brain-based parenting ideas.