Parents across the nation are already beginning to work on the transitions that are necessary to start the new school year. From purchasing school supplies to making appointments with dentists and ENT allergy specialists, there are many things that go into a successful school year. Schools themselves are also busy making the necessary preparations. In a time when budgets are stretched thin there are many buildings that require a lot of work over the summer to create the healthiest environments. From dealing with mold exposure treatments that are part of buildings in some parts of the south to schools that have been damaged by flood waters in recent storms, it can sometimes seem as if an entire community is dealing with getting kids back in the classroom.

While parents are busy making appointments with pediatricians and ENT allergy specialists, it is also important to remember that some children need a little extra emotional attention when it comes time to go BACK TO SCHOOL:

• Books and school supplies are often at the top of every back to school list, but it is also important that parents help get their children mentally prepared for their days back in the classroom.
• All teachers have the option to create a suggestion list of classroom items that they would like to see students bring on back to school nights or the first day of school.
• Conversations about what that first morning will be like can be important steps that help students of all age make transitions: from preschool to elementary school, from elementary school to middle school, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college.
• Keeping things in perspective can help children face even the most challenging of situations at school. Realizing that when a young child walks out the door is only about facing one single day.






• Transitions between classrooms and teachers are not always easy, but they also present opportunities to practice new life skills.
• One of the most heart wrenching scenes for many parents to face is their first child walking into school for the first first day. It is important, however, for parents not to project their anxiousness and fears onto their children.






• Students of all age have the opportunity to meet new classmates, grow with new classroom teachers, and challenge themselves to thrive in new surroundings.
• Coping with change, like those that occur at school, is a skill that when mastered can serve a valuable purpose in many future situations.
• How parents handle transitions can serve as a valuable resource to children of all ages. For this reason it is important to realize that every step parents take is being watched by their children.
• One way to make sure that a child will have a great first day of school is to make certain that emotions are kept closely in check, while still allowing children to express their own views from their limited perscpective. Parents always need to be careful that they do not project their own fears onto their children.
• Once a child leaves home for school, a family’s life changes. It is important that the entire family prepares for these changes. Managing expectations and respecting a child’s transitions can help.
• Loving school is one of the first indicators of a child who will be successful in the classroom. Every parent has the opportunity to help their children focus on the positive.

From fears to school supplies to early morning doses of medications that ENT allergy specialists prescribe, every parent is faced with a long list themselves of what needs to be done before the start of a new school year. And while it is true that as many as 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies every year, you want to make sure that your child does not develop an “allergy” to the classroom based on your own fears and over reactions. ENT allergy specialists may be able to help diagnose that your child is one of the 8.4% of US children under age 18 who suffer from hay fever, but as a parent you are the one who can make sure that your child is mentally and emotionally prepared for a new year.