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She says it is ideal to start preparing at the end of the holiday season. During the two months off, schoolchildren have fallen out of their usual rhythm and it can be difficult to get back into a regular routine. Children should gradually get back to going to bed early and waking up earlier. For older ones, it is good to build on responsibilities, such as chores, that may have gone a little by the wayside during the summer.
If we really want to be prepared, it's good to keep the children busy with an activity where they have to sit still and concentrate. According to Příhodová, it doesn't have to be writing dictations or counting equations. Even simple colouring in will help them get used to the fact that soon they will have to spend several hours at a stretch in a desk.
The other important way to prepare children for the return is to talk openly with them about it. "It's a good idea to sit down with the kids and talk about going back to school, seeing their friends again, what they are and are not looking forward to. And also stress to them that even if they might not enjoy something so much, school is not a punishment," Příhodová stresses.
In addition, parents should also take into account whether the child is facing a major event in the school year, such as entrance exams, and prepare together with them for how this change will affect the coming months.
It is not just children who face a leap in their daily lives. Parents who are still at work for much of the summer may not realise it, but there is much more work ahead for them too. "Up until now, I could go out with my friends in the evenings, but with my child back at school, I'm back to checking homework and preparing snacks," says Tereza Příhodová, pointing out that the return of her children to school is not such a relief. That's why parents should also gradually prepare a few days in advance.
However, even a successful start of the year should not mean resting on one's laurels. Children still have almost ten months to go, during which many things can happen, and parents should support them throughout this time.
"We should continuously support children throughout the year and take an active interest in how they are doing at school," emphasises Tereza Příhodová. But this doesn't just mean asking about grades. Instead, parents should be generally interested in what their children are doing well, what they are not doing so well and what they did that day. A mutual evening tradition can be established where each family member describes what they did that day - whether at school, kindergarten or work.
"Czech children suffer a lot from how much their parents look at grades and performance. They need to know that their parents are supportive and that they can turn to them when they are not well or start having problems," Příhodová concludes.
Tereza Příhodová also spoke about how to prepare children for the return to school on Monday 1 September on the programme Home Alone. You can watch the whole episode here.
