What To Look Out For During Your Child’s Second Month In High School (Year 7)

Your young adolescent has been in school for about a month now. To begin, you might have been concerned about how they will perform in high school. New teachers, new classmates, and a new school can make a big difference to your child.

Now that they’ve had some time to adjust to these exciting changes, here are a few things you should both focus on to enhance their experience of Year 7:

Lunch Money

A typical school dinner can cost between 2 to 3 pounds per day for a secondary school student. Many schools upload cafeteria menus on their websites. Ask your child what their favourite dishes have been for the last month so you can determine how much money your child will need. This also lets you see if your child dislikes specific foods on certain days so that you can send them a packed lunch instead. Eating food they are comfortable with becomes one less thing for them to worry about!

Note: take a close look at what your child’s school is offering. High-fat, deep-fried foods and carbonated drinks are bad for your child, so make sure you take these into account as well when giving your child money to buy food.

Sleeping Pattern

A high school student needs about 8 to 10 hours of sleep. However, only 15% of students are reported sleeping 8 ½ hours on school nights.

As parents, you need to make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Ask your child not to eat or drink coffee or soft drinks a few hours before bedtime as that can interfere with their sleep.

A set bedtime schedule will allow them to wake up refreshed, improving their concentration at school.

Homework

UK high school students spend 4.9 hours each week on homework. A lot of parents think that homework is an added stressor for their children and particularly for children with special needs. However, carefully planned homework can help determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses and teach them about time management and independence.

Parents can make doing homework a positive experience by creating a set desk space for their child to do their homework and being encouraging and helpful when their child needs to understand something. Also, let them know it is all right to make mistakes so that the teacher can know which areas need to be addressed, but insist on them completing and checking their work thoroughly before finishing.

Asking Them About Their Day

The first months of high school can have a huge impact on the child. In addition to making friends, they will be trying to find their place in the peer group. They may face rejection, which can result in low self-esteem.

During this time, you can help your child build resilience by talking to them about their day at school to show you are interested in their lives. Also, make an effort to meet their new friends and their parents. If you don’t like some of their friends, carefully and respectfully let them know how you feel. Don’t outright ban them from seeing them.

Talking to your child openly can work wonders as it provides your child with an opportunity to express their feelings preventing a build-up of emotions. As a parent you can also be aware of what’s going on in your child’s life. Having an open relationship with your child will help to support them towards academic and social success.