Speed Bumps on the Road Back to School

Sam could hardly sleep the night before his annual back-to-school shopping trip with his dad for “school supplying.” New pencils, drawing tablets and papers, calendars, and more were in his shopping cart as he struggled to stay on budget (he’s learning about money, and likes to have his “own,” on loan from grandad).

On the way home, Sam asked if he could go back tomorrow with his 3-year-old cousin who was starting preschool, assuming she was as excited as he was.

“She’s never been to school, so she’s worried about being away from home,” Sam’s dad said. “Maybe after she sees that school is OK. This hasn’t been an easy summer for a lot of little kids.”

I agree with Sam’s dad. This particular summer has been tough on many young families. Excessive heat, problematic travel, a country that often feels polarized, expenses that were hard to control, news about widespread teacher fatigue, and lingering drag from the pandemic on learning and skill-building in younger elementary school children make for a sizeable worry stone.

We know that persistent high temperatures are especially tough on young children as their smaller bodies and immature regulatory systems make it hard for them to cool themselves down—like adults—through sweating. Staying hydrated while playing with their pals is not on their minds, so they can get into trouble quickly with rising body temperatures. Only recently have we begun to take this vulnerability seriously and have yet to develop an effective public health policy response. Hot classrooms add a further risk factor, leading to trouble focusing on learning tasks and slowed-down problem-solving.

As for the political and economic legacies of summer 2024, it’s beyond the scope of this post to tackle such solutions, but the anxious kitchen table conversations they spawn can make it hard to get excited for the start of school and the fresh developmental opportunity it represents for young children.

While that context doesn’t paint the rosiest of pictures, we must always remember that children are born with the drive to master growing up, and parents nurture and support that inborn drive, whether it’s learning to walk, talk, get control of bladder and bowel, manage big emotions, be kind, or read. It’s how we nurture nature, not nature vs. nurture. For families, children starting or returning to school means you have a new bench of “mastery drive” players on your team.

Here are some suggestions for managing the list of speed bumps from the summer and easing the back-to-school transition:

• The vast majority of teachers welcome collaborating parents who show up, volunteer, and share things they know and cherish about their children, all of which makes their jobs easier and more joyful. Let them know you are a resource, early.

• Ask about classroom temperatures and monitor out-of-school time for sun exposure, overheating, and hydration. This needs to be on all our radars.

• Be cautious about “catch-up” skill-building curricular adjustments which have become popular given the concern about lagging math and reading skills as a pandemic legacy. To best support the youngest learners—those in preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten—it’s important to stay balanced with curiosity-driven teaching strategies and play-based exploration. The pandemic did not change the importance of that balanced learning approach for young brains.

Meanwhile, amid the chaos and excitement, take a breath and enjoy your own back-to-school moments. They don’t last forever.