Well, in a flash we’re already done with the first semester and in the middle of winter break. Hopefully you and your kids have found time to relax, decompress, and even get away. Similar to the start of the school year, returning to school after winter break can be challenging for kids, especially with the Covid Omicron variant causing disruptions. 

Fortunately, kids are resilient, and in today’s blog post, we present five ways to help them transition back to school from break. 

Sleep is not overrated. Medical science shows that lack of sleep can negatively affect school work and even create long-term health issues. Kids and teenagers specifically, tend to become night owls over break, spending more time on screens. They should milk every minute they can of this time off, but it’s a good idea to reintroduce regular bedtime a couple days before the start of school. 

We’ve emphasized the importance of organization skills and the positive impact tutoring has on them. Kids can become overwhelmed about resuming their school routine and everything that comes with it. To that end, it’s important to carve out time for them to declutter their backpacks, organize their notebooks, and replenish school supplies. In addition, make sure they check their school email account for notifications from teachers. 

Winter break is a time to unplug for both kids and parents. Finally, a respite from checking grades, missing and upcoming assignments, and the date of the next quiz or test! It’s time to get back on the horse, and I recommend sitting down with your child to see their current grades so that everyone’s on the same page. 

Use this time to review your child’s homework schedule, or if necessary, to make some changes. If what they were doing in the fall in terms of time windows spent on homework and studying worked, then don’t change a thing. If it was erratic and challenging, then it’s a good time to help your child reconfigure their homework schedule. 

If the first semester was rocky with your child falling behind, the start of a new semester is a great time to begin working with a tutor. Our blog page contains numerous helpful posts about the benefits and best practices of tutoring. If your child already has a tutor, awesome. Keep it up! 

Transitions can feel daunting for people of all ages. The routine of time off is easy to get used to, which makes returning to school all the more difficult for kids. Follow these five steps, and they’ll be as prepared as they can be to take on the second half of the year!  

Club Z! Tutoring of Glenbrook specializes in providing individualized, in-home and virtual tutoring for students K - 12 in Northbrook and Glenview. If you want your child to work on developing skills that will translate to improved grades and self-esteem, contact us today at: bbalatsos@clubztutoring.com. You can also reach us at 847-440-3440 and by visiting clubztutoringglenbrook.com.