It is hard to believe, but another school year is here! While exciting, the transition from relaxing summer vacation to busy back-to-school can be challenging. Read on for strategies to set your family up for success this school year. Plan ahead Before meeting the teacher, the first day of school, and any other milestones, talk with your child about what to expect. For children who have attended daycare or school before, talk about what will be the same as last year and what will be different. Help them to remember that, while many things will be different, many things will be familiar, too! When possible, tour or look at pictures of the school, classroom, teacher, and any friends that will be in the new class. 2. Listen Offer a non-judgmental space for your child to express their nerves, concerns, and hopes for these next few weeks. Try not to jump in too quickly by saying things like “don’t worry about that” or “stop it, it will be great!” While such statements come from a good place, they can feel dismissive to your child. Instead, work to validate their feelings and address their concerns together. 3. Make it fun One way to help guide your child through glass-half-empty statements such as, “I’m not going to have any friends in my class...it’s going to be the worst year ever!” is to play the “maybe game.” You could say, “That sounds really tough. I hear you – maybe that will happen...OR...maybe you will find a new friend and really like how your new teacher does things!” By validating their concerns instead of dismissing them, you offer space for both things to be true at the same time. 4. Re-frame Help your child to re-frame their worries as reflections of the care you have for each other and the trust that you will be there for them at the end of the day – no matter what. For example, if you think your little one might cry at drop off, you could say “It’s okay to cry and miss me at school after I leave. I will miss you too! That is because we love each other. I will be there to pick you up and can’t wait to hear all about your day. What toy do you think you will play with first?” 5. Empower Remember – your child is looking to you to gauge if they should be worried. Work to communicate confidence, instill bravery, and let them know that you know they can do it. If your little one thinks you are scared, they will have a much harder time pushing through. A brave parent is the most helpful way to ensure a brave child! 6. Wear your heart on your sleeve ...or your hand! One strategy to help young children with separation anxiety at drop off is to draw a heart on each of your hands. Tell your child that you can either kiss or tap your heart (or both!) during the day when you miss each other, knowing that the other person is feeling it too!

Most parents naturally do many things to prevent problems from occurring in everyday life, such as putting up a gate to avoid a toddler from falling down the stairs. There are a number of other strategies that parents can implement to prevent many behavior problems from happening.

It is hard to believe that another summer is almost here! As you plan for your family’s summer adventures, consider these quick tips to maximize success.

One of the most difficult aspects of parenting toddlers is knowing how to manage the behaviors they exhibit as they learn to communicate their feelings. For many parents, biting and hitting are at the top of that list. Read on for tips on what to do when your child bites or hits... Self-talk . Say to yourself, “I don’t like that they bit/hit and hurt someone else, but I can teach them other ways to express their feelings.” Empathy. Ask yourself, “Wouldn’t I have a hard time expressing myself when I’m mad or upset if I didn’t have the language to do that, or the ability to problem solve in non-aggressive ways? I know how my child feels!” Teach . Young children learn very early that their hands and teeth are powerful weapons that elicit an equally powerful reaction when used. However, this can cause lots of problems for you and your child. The key is to teach your child that biting and hitting hurt and there are other ways to express feelings without hurting others. Tell yourself, “I can teach my child how to respect others and use words to express feelings. I know it will take time and patience, but they can learn.” When your child bites or hits, provide a brief teaching statement, such as “No bite. Biting hurts” and give them a word or action within their skill abilities to replace the biting. For example, “You can say ‘no hug’ instead” or “you can walk away.” When you do this, you are teaching your child how his behavior affects others and what else they can do instead. Reinforce. Practice by setting your phone timer for 5 minutes (or longer or shorter, depending on how long you think your child can play with another child without your motivating praise) and say, “When you have played gently with Jack until the phone timer sounds, we can read your favorite book together. You are getting along so well.” Offering a reward as an incentive for self-control discourages conflict. Praise. When children (even siblings) are getting along, it’s important to praise their effort frequently. Simple statements, such as, “Good taking turns,” or “You are playing so nicely together,” reminds them of the goal of getting along vs. fighting. Teach compromise. When conflict arises, say, “Let’s find a way to let both of you play with that toy. I’ll use my phone timer to tell us when it’s your turn to play with it.” Your child can learn patience as they wait their turn, as well as problem solving and compromise—instead of biting or hitting. What not to do: Don’t hurt your child. Biting/hitting back and spanking are all behaviors you don’t want them to learn, so don’t use them. Don’t overreact. Getting upset when your child bites or hits keeps you from problem solving. Keep yourself calm by using calming self-talk. Say to yourself, “This is a problem we can solve. I just need to stay calm to do it.” Don’t threaten. Threatening your child creates fear but doesn’t teach the behavior you want. Instead, simply say, “Let’s work on ways you can get what you want without hurting someone.” Source: Behavior Checker from the Raised with Love and Limits Foundation