OT Corner: Transitioning Back to School By Lisa Amy Wagenfeld, Ph.D, OTR/L Originally printed in September 2004 As I sit here at my computer writing this column, school seems a far away thing to consider, but perhaps it is not as far away as I think. Target and K-mart have already marked down prices on the grill and chill sections in preparation to get out the school supplies - wow! Next thing we know, Halloween costumes will be on display, not to mention that yummy candy! And I had just started to get into summer mode... This month's column about my thoughts on transitioning back to school is organized as an outline, so bear with me on this one. Some ideas will appear in multiple age groups, so no, you are not seeing double or triple! Let's talk about children heading off to preschool first. PRESCHOOL Clothing * Set out clothes the night before to avoid extra morning chaos. * Try to choose clothes that your children are able to put on and take off with minimal help. This includes pull on pants, pull over shirts, and easy to put on and take off shoes. * To keep the frustration meter in check, try to avoid sending children to school with super fussy clothes with lots of fasteners or complicated things like that. Emergency trips to the bathroom will only be more yucky when having to deal with fussy fasteners. * Practice zippers and other fasteners at home. Perhaps your children can practice on their own fasteners, as well as their siblings. Preschool staff will also work on this as part of their curriculum. * If you are so inclined, make a simple chart or picture board that contains drawings of what it is your children are to put on, kind of a pictorial and sequential checklist. Have your children look at the picture board (taped to the back of the bedroom door?) after (or as they are) dressing to make sure that the dressing process is in good (or reasonable!) order. Snacks and lunches Practice opening containers, juice box straws, snack bags, and such at home... these are actually pretty high-level fine motor tasks. I am quite challenged by the Capri Sun(r) (and the like) pouches, so truly understand a little one's frustration in trying to open them. Time will be spent in the classroom during snack time mastering the art of opening and closing snack items, but at-home reinforcement is terrific. Oh, don't forget zipper lock bags. I have spent many therapy sessions teaching kids to open and close them. Back packs and Heading Out the Door * At this age, we are not usually seeing overloaded, massively heavy bags, but keep in mind that 10-15% of a child's weight is the upper limit for a "loaded" pack. * I would recommend choosing a bag that has a large enough opening for a child to put in and remove things with ease. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to cram something into a bag, or struggling to remove it. * If it seems right, put a small transitional object; a favorite stuffed toy or the like in the bag. A small, laminated photo of the family might also provide a sense of security and connection when it is needed. * A very obvious point, but label the bottom of the bag with a child's name on it. For even easier bag recognition, I am also thinking about the wisdom of fabricating some kind of a laminated luggage tag with a picture of your child and placing it on the zipper of the bag. The tag will also serve as a large oversized zipper pull. I will let you decide if a photo is "security" issue. SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN Clothing * Set out clothes, hair doodads, and such the night before to avoid extra morning chaos. * Try to choose clothes that your children are able to put on and take off with minimal help. * To keep the frustration meter at a nice even keel, avoid sending children to school with super fussy clothes that have lots of fasteners or complicated things like that. * Practice zippers and other fasteners at home. Perhaps your children can practice on their own fasteners, as well as their siblings. Hopefully, early elementary staff will also work on this as part of their curriculum. * Begin to work on shoe tying in kindergarten. Refer back to my earlier column on for some ideas for teaching and mastering this skill. * If you are so inclined, make a simple chart or picture board that contains drawings of what it is your children are to put on, kind of a pictorial and sequential checklist. Have your children look at the picture board (taped to the back of the bedroom door?) after (or as they are) dressing to make sure that the dressing process is in good (or reasonable!) order. Snacks and lunches * Practice opening and closing containers, opening juice box straws, snack bags, and such at home... these are actually pretty high level fine motor tasks. * If your children will be buying lunch, it might be fun to practice carrying a tray of food at home to get used to the whole process of balancing and carrying the loaded tray through a busy lunchroom. * This is a totally personal thing, but if there is a no peanut (butter) policy in your schools, please adhere to it. Having a child with severe food allergies has made me very sensitive to issues like this! Backpacks and Heading Out the Door * At this age, we may be beginning to see overloaded, massively heavy bags. Keep in mind that 10-15 % of a child's weight is the upper limit for a "loaded" pack. Make sure the weight is balanced across the midback, and not on the "tush." * Alternatively, consider a backpack on wheels. * For younger children, if it seems right, put a small transitional object, a favorite stuffed toy or the like in the bag. A small photo of the family might also provide a sense of security and connection when it is needed. * If appropriate, place an index card with important phone numbers listed on it in an outside pocket of your childrens' bags. Although the school office has your emergency information, something closer at hand to your children may be useful as well. * Prepare a quick self-checklist that you place on the back of the door your children leave from. The list should include things such as, have I brushed my hair and teeth, do have my lunch or lunch money, gym clothes (if needed), completed homework, books, do I have my packed backpack, and of course, have I kissed Mom and Dad goodbye.... The nonreader or beginning reader crowd will do well with a pictorial list, while readers need a colorful written list. A self-checklist builds organizational skills, as well as a sense of accomplishment and even independence. THE OLDER CROUD Clothing and Getting Out of Bed * Have your children learn to use and set an alarm clock. I have my son set his earlier than he would like, but trying to drag him out of bed is always a challenge. * Laying out clothes the night before is still a good policy, but allow for some wiggle room for last minute changes of mind. Lunches * I think it is reasonable to have older children to, at minimum, help plan their lunch menus for the week. Having them help prepare them is also great. Start small, like having children put snacks or desserts into their appropriate travel bags or containers, and progress to independent preparation. * If your children buy lunch, determine whether providing them with daily or weekly lunch money is best. In any event, having your children keep the money in a safe and available place is important. Backpacks and Heading Out the Door * At this age we are seeing far too many overloaded, massively heavy bags. Keep in mind that 10-15 % of a child's weight is the upper limit for a "loaded" pack. Make sure the weight is balanced across the midback, and not on the "tush." Make sure your children assess whether it is necessary to bring every book home everyday. Also, to lighten the load, check into whether your schools will issue at-home and in-school copies of texts. * Alternatively, consider a backpack on wheels. * If your children happen to own a cell phone, having them be responsible for daily charging is really important. Putting it in their book bag is equally as important! * Place an index card with important phone numbers listed on it in an outside pocket of your childrens' bags. Although the school office has your emergency information, something closer at hand to your children may be useful as well. Putting a spare house key, a few extra dollars, as well as a couple of quarters for a phone call in the bag's outside pocket is reassuring (for you at least!). I think that next month we will talk about "kid" ergonomics, and then move on to grown-up ergonomic issues. Enjoy the summer!