Starting the School Year Strong

Welcome to Season 3 of Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You! Today, we want to talk about starting the school year strong. What can you as parents do to help set your kids on a trajectory to success? We dive into some of the things we think are important for students to conquer, including setting schedules, getting organized, educating themselves on and making use of their school’s resources, and becoming skilled at advocating for themselves. We also discuss effective study strategies that can help students navigate the transition in learning and study habits from middle school to high school, as well as the value of learning from natural consequences, cultivating a sense of independence, and why we think it’s important to talk to your children about school policies. If you want to hear more about these topics and why it’s crucial for your children to be engaged in their school communities, don’t miss this information-packed episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:01:22] The topic for today’s episode: Starting the School Year Strong.
• [0:01:45] Things to consider to help your kids get a great start.
• [0:01:55] Everything you need to know about schedules.
• [0:03:10] Helping your kids get organized for the school year ahead.
• [0:04:30] Setting expectations and exploring options for organizational systems.
• [0:06:30] Learning about and making use of your school’s resources.
• [0:07:52] The importance of teaching students to advocate for themselves.
• [0:08:20] Why parents should guide their kids through some type of reflective exercise.
• [0:09:30] Exploring study and learning habits (and why some just don’t work).
• [0:11:45] Taking the start of the new year as a time to reflect.
• [0:13:00] Cultivating independence and learning from natural consequences.
• [0:15:20] The benefits of learning from natural consequences.
• [0:15:44] Device policies and the inability to appropriately navigate screen time.
• [0:18:00] Cracking down on devices and sleep!
• [0:19:15] Participation in diverse ways; becoming comfortable with taking academic risks.
• [0:21:20] Breaking through introversion.
• [0:22:50] Talking to your child about engagement with their school community.
• [0:25:22] The other side: being over-scheduled.
• [0:28:20] Why it’s important to talk about school policies with your children.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

'How to Help Your Teen Succeed This School Year'

Google Calendar

The Village Blog

Village Blog

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You on Instagram