If you’re the parent of a teenager, you understand just how stressful the prospect of going to school can be, especially if your teen is just about to start school at a high school for the first time. When your teen is getting ready to start school, there are a few ways to go about preparing for the big day so that you and your teenager feel confident. The more time you take to prepare your teenager for their first day back to school, the easier it will be for them to adjust to a new environment, schedules, and classmates.
Inspect Your Vehicle
Before your teen begins school, it’s important to inspect your vehicle and any car or truck your teenager may also be driving on a daily basis. Conducting regular car maintenance is essential to extend the lifespan of a vehicle and protect its components. Inspecting your vehicles before the school year begins will also reduce the risk of your teenager experiencing a bigger issue once they are on the road and behind the wheel.
When you are inspecting your vehicle or the vehicle of your teen, you should always inspect the transmission and engine as well as the wheels. Ensure that all fluids are topped off and in good condition before taking a vehicle for a drive. When you are inspecting any vehicle that you own or that is on your property, it’s also advisable to take the time to inspect lights and warning indicators that may be visible inside the car, depending on the make and model of your car or truck.
Teach Your Child the Basics of Car Safety
When your teen is about to start school, and they intend to drive themselves, it’s imperative to teach them as much as possible about car safety. Sharing information about car safety, parking brakes, emergency braking techniques, and even how to jump a vehicle can go a long way when your teen is working toward becoming more independent on their own. Teaching your child about car safety basics will not only help them to remain as safe as possible when they are behind the wheel, but it is also a way for you to maintain some sense of peace of mind when they are on their own and no longer in your presence at all times.
You can help your child learn more about car safety by reviewing vehicle manuals and guides. You can also instruct your teen to spend some time researching the specific make and model of their vehicle online with the use of online forums, communities, and videos. Watching videos can also help your teen become much more comfortable with the interior, exterior, as well as the main components of the car they intend to drive each day. The more comfortable your teen feels maintaining their car or truck, the less likely they are to feel stressed, confused, and overwhelmed if they are ever involved in an accident or their vehicle breaks down on the side of the road.
Obtain Proper Vehicle Insurance
Anytime you are planning to allow your teen to drive a vehicle to school or even to their place of work, you will need to obtain proper car insurance. Insuring any car or truck on the road is not only recommended to protect you legally and financially but it is often required by law. Research the location you live and drive in to determine any laws in effect that are relevant to obtaining and maintaining car insurance. When you have car insurance for your teen, you can also rest assured knowing they are as legally protected as possible while they are operating the vehicle. If you are thinking of allowing your teen the ability to drive to school this year, speaking with a local and trusted car insurance agent is a great place to begin.
Benefits of Working With an Insurance Agent or Agency
If you are in need of insurance for a vehicle you own, working with a car insurance agency or agent is highly advisable. Agents who specialize in car insurance can help to guide you through various providers and different types of policies that are currently available to you, your teenager, and anyone else in the home who will also be driving and operating vehicles. Comparing your options when it comes to selecting the right auto insurance policy will help you feel much more confident in the final decision you make. Working with an agency or insurance agent is also a way to learn more about the policies that are available for your teenager, especially if they are thinking of paying for their own auto insurance.
Keep in mind that when you are looking for insurance for a teenager for the first time, the insurance policy premiums are likely to cost much more. This is due to the increased risk factors of allowing young and inexperienced drivers on the road. You can expect to pay significantly more for your teen’s auto insurance when you are insuring them for the first time. As your teen becomes more experienced with driving without incident or being involved in any type of accident, however, he or she can reduce their insurance premiums.
Ensure Your Teenager Has a Safe and Welcoming Home
Before your teen is about to start school, it’s important to take their current home environment into consideration. Providing your teenager with a safe and welcoming home will help them to feel much more confident about beginning a new school year. Providing your teen with a space of their own or their own bedroom can also help them to gain a new sense of independence, especially as they are entering high school or even learning to drive on their own.
As a parent, you are also responsible for ensuring their safety, even when they choose to spend time online. You can implement safety measures by investing time in providing an intrinsically safe tablet using parental controls and integrated apps. Monitoring internet usage and communications can also help you to prevent potential cyberbullying and bullying at school once your teen begins the year.
Visit the Doctor and Dentist Regularly
Any time your teen is about to start school, it’s highly recommended to schedule appointments at a dentist office and a family doctor. Visiting the doctor and dentist regularly will not only help to ensure that your teen is healthy, but it will also instill the importance of proper ongoing medical care well into adulthood. Whether you want to take your teen to the doctor for a checkup or if you have a specific concern in mind, visiting the doctor and dentist at least once every six months is highly advisable for everyone, regardless of age.
Before your teen begins their new school year, ask them about any issues they may be having, such as seeing properly. Eyesight is essential for those who are sitting in classrooms all day and taking notes on screens or projectors. Visiting a local eye care center can help you to address any potential need for contacts or glasses before your teen begins their new year at school.
Consider the Prospect of Braces
One of the most common procedures that teenagers typically undergo as they are growing into young adults is getting braces. Braces such as traditional metal brace solutions and teen Invisalign solutions are extremely popular among teens of all ages. Visiting an orthodontist or your family dentist before the school year begins is the best way to determine if your teen will likely require braces now or at some point in the near future.
Provide Your Teenager With Healthy Meals
Providing your teenager with healthy meals each day is essential when they are about to start school. When it comes to breakfast and lunch food, you and your teen can take time to prepare meals together ahead of the school day. Preparing and packing your own lunches for your teen will provide them with the nutrition they need without all the processed ingredients. Healthy meals can go a long way in helping your teenager to remain focused, fit, and healthy as their bodies continue to grow and develop.
Stress the Importance of Healthy Nutrition and Exercise
Educating all members of your household, including your teenagers, on the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise is key before they start school any year. Exercising regularly is a way to produce positive chemicals in the brain and body, such as serotonin and dopamine. Regular exercise is also extremely beneficial when it comes to reducing anxiety, stress, and depression in adolescents and adults alike.
Nutrition also plays a pivotal role in the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of all individuals. Stressing why it is important to stick to a healthy diet can help your teen develop positive relationships with the right foods. Become educated on macronutrients and micronutrients to help your teen become familiar with identifying ingredients that may potentially be harmful or problematic for their bodies.
Talk Openly About Mental Health
If your teen is about to start school, but they are nervous to do so due to social anxiety or depression, it’s important to be as open as possible when discussing mental health. Mental health is one of the fastest-growing issues among adolescents in the US and around the world today. Allowing your teen to feel comfortable with you is key to ensuring they will come to you if they are seriously struggling, especially when dealing with a new school environment, friends, or peers.
Once you and your teen feel comfortable discussing mental health with one another, you can ponder the prospect of an anxiety treatment that may benefit them. When your teen feels open to discussing treatment, they are less likely to react defensively or out of anger. Developing a trusting and open bond with your teen can go a long way in establishing the grounds for offering assistance with seeking treatment.
Whenever you are discussing the mental health of your teen in front of them or with them directly, it is important to do so with kindness, grace, and understanding. The hormones and emotions of teenagers may cause them to react defensively or may cause them to feel frustrated and confused. As an adult, you will need to monitor their actions to properly navigate conversations that pertain to your teen’s mental health.
Teach Your Teenager About Responsibility
As a parent, teaching your teen about personal responsibility and accountability is imperative. Teenagers will need to learn how to become more responsible on their own when it comes to managing homework, prospective college applications, and even their own job and vehicle. If your teen is ever locked out of their vehicle, for instance, they should know how to be as resourceful as possible to seek out a professional local locksmith in the area.
You can teach your teen about responsibility by creating a chore cart that must be tended to on a daily basis. Providing rewards for completed jobs and incentivizing your teen to become more proactive at school and in their home life is also a way to encourage responsibility. Holding your teen accountable for their actions with punishments or the elimination of luxuries and amenities can also help your teen to become much more responsible as they inch towards independence.
Provide Your Teenager With Learning Assistance or a Tutor if Needed
If your teen is about to start school, but they are struggling in various subjects, consider visiting a local learning center or hiring a tutor. Hiring a tutor or seeking learning assistance will help your teen to feel caught up before beginning a new school year. The more familiar your child becomes with certain topics and subjects, the less likely they are to feel stressed out and overwhelmed once the lessons are taught in class.
Helping your teenager prepare to start school is a way for both of you to feel ready once the big day arrives. By providing a safe home environment, vehicle, and transpiration for your teen, your child will also feel much better about starting a brand-new year of school. Whenever your teenager is about to start school, taking the time to plan ahead of time can ultimately benefit everyone in your household.