💞Ways Parents and Guardians Can Help Set Their Children Up for a Successful School Year

😊 A successful school year begins with more than school supplies, new clothes, schedules, and the first homework assignment.

As parents, grandparents, guardians, and caregivers, we have an opportunity to help our children begin and continue their school year feeling loved, supported, prepared, encouraged, and confident.

Whether our children are beginning kindergarten, entering middle school, starting high school, or preparing for their senior year, we can intentionally create a foundation that lets them know:

God is with you. We believe in you. We love you. And we’re here to support you.

💛 Begin the School Year with God at the Center

Before discussing bedtime routines, transportation, supplies, extracurricular activities, or homework schedules, begin with God.

Have a conversation with your child about keeping God at the center of the upcoming school year.

You might say:

“Let’s pray about your new school year. Let’s ask God to guide you, help you learn, give you wisdom in your friendships and decisions, protect you, strengthen you, and help you grow closer to Him.”

Ask your child what they would like prayer for too.

Maybe they’re excited about a new teacher.

Maybe they’re starting a new school.

Maybe they’re looking forward to seeing friends.

Maybe they want prayer about a particular subject, making the team, managing their schedule, or making new friends.

Listen to them and pray together.

Let prayer become part of preparing for the school year and then continue making prayer and God’s Word part of the family’s school-year rhythm.

💛 ContinuingYour Positive Back-to-School Conversation

Set aside some time before school begins to continue to talk about the year ahead. It’s not too late to have this conversation even if the school year has already begun.

It doesn’t have to be a formal meeting. Talk while you’re eating together, shopping, riding in the car, taking a walk, or relaxing at home.

Let your children hear your confidence in them.

“I’m excited about this school year for you.”

“I believe in you.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“We’re going to work together to help make this a successful year.”

Then give them room to talk.

Ask:

“What are you looking forward to this year?”

“What would you like to accomplish?”

“What do you think will help you have a great school year?”

“How can I support you?”

“What would you like us to pray about?”

The purpose isn’t to have the perfect conversation. It’s to begin communicating.

Sometimes one good question is all it takes to open the door.

💛 Establish Routines Together

Children benefit from structure, including teenagers.

Talk about bedtime and wake-up routines, getting ready in the morning, homework and study time, extracurricular activities, jobs, household responsibilities, transportation, technology, meals, relaxation, and rest.

Explain why the routines are being established.

For example:

“We want you to get enough sleep so your body and mind are rested and ready for school.”

For a teenager balancing school, sports, activities, and employment:

“You have a lot happening this year. Let’s work out a routine that gives you time for school, your activities, your responsibilities, rest, and yourself.”

These conversations help children begin developing skills they will use far beyond school: planning, organization, responsibility, time management, and self-discipline.

💛 Prepare What You Can, When You Can

Every family’s financial situation is different.

School preparation may include supplies, uniforms, clothing, shoes, backpacks, technology, transportation, lunch arrangements, sports equipment, or other necessities.

Let your child know you’re working with them:

“We’re going to make sure you have what you need, and we’ll continue getting everything as we’re able.”

Preparation can also include reviewing school information, learning important procedures, checking transportation arrangements, finding schedules, learning how teachers communicate with families, and knowing where assignments and school information will be posted.

Preparation doesn’t have to happen all at once.

💛 Let Them Know You Believe in Them

Children need encouragement before they’ve accomplished anything.

Tell them:

“I believe in you.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Give this year your best.”

“Ask for help when you need it.”

“I’m looking forward to watching you grow.”

Success also looks different for every child.

For one child, success may mean earning excellent grades. For another, it may mean improving a grade, becoming more organized, attending consistently, participating in class, asking for help, developing stronger study habits, making a friend, completing assignments, or continuing to persevere through a challenging subject.

Celebrate growth.

Celebrate effort.

Celebrate responsibility.

Celebrate progress.

And celebrate your child.

💛 Encourage and Love on Them Every School Day

Our children can carry our love and encouragement with them throughout the entire school day.

💖 Before School: Start with Love, Encouragement, and Prayer

However your child gets to school—walking, riding the bus, carpooling, being driven, or driving themselves—send them into their day knowing they are loved.

It can be simple:

“I love you.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Have a wonderful day.”

“I believe in you.”

“I’m praying for you.”

And when possible, pray together.

It doesn’t have to be a long prayer.

Ask God to guide them, protect them, help them learn, give them wisdom, and help them reflect His love throughout their day.

💖 During School: Send Some Love from Home

Create a small moment your child can look forward to during the school day.

Send a very short message.

“I love you! ”

“Miss you! ”

“Thinking about you!”

“I’m proud of you!”

“Can’t wait to see you!”

“I’m praying for you! ”

“You make me smile!”

“Sending you a hug! ”

“Looking forward to our trip!”

Some days, send a short Scripture or part of a verse:

“The LORD is with you. Love you!”

“God loves you, and so do I! ”

“I saw this Scripture and thought about you. Love you!”

Or send a tiny prayer:

“Jesus, please encourage my child today. I’m praying for you!”

The message may only take a few seconds to read. The consistency can make it meaningful.

Children of many ages have access to phones, so families can use technology in whatever way works for them while following the child’s school rules regarding devices.

For children who carry lunch from home, a handwritten love note tucked into the lunchbox can be another sweet surprise. A note can also be placed somewhere else the child will naturally find it.

Parents and guardians can even set a recurring phone reminder:

Send my child some love.

Imagine a child going through the school day knowing:

At some point today, there’s going to be a message from home reminding me that I am loved.

💖 After School: Reconnect and Encourage

After school provides another opportunity to reconnect.

Start with them.

“I’m happy to see you!”

“How are you?”

“How was your day?”

“Tell me something good that happened.”

“What made you smile today?”

Some children will immediately start talking. Others may enjoy a little time to unwind first. Learn the rhythm that works for your child.

Then look for opportunities to give specific encouragement:

“I noticed how hard you worked.”

“I’m proud of the effort you put into that.”

“You kept going even when it was challenging.”

“You’re becoming really responsible about your schedule.”

“You asked for help when you needed it. That’s growth.”

“Look at your improvement!”

Positive feedback helps children recognize their own growth.

💛 When You Aren’t Home, Find Your Family’s Way to Stay Connected

Work schedules and family circumstances look different from household to household.

A parent or guardian may be working when the child leaves for school.

You may be working when they arrive home.

You may work evenings or nights and be away at bedtime.

Connection can still happen.

Send a text.

Make a phone call.

Video call during an appropriate break.

Leave a voice message.

Send a short prayer they can listen to.

Call at bedtime and say:

“Before you go to sleep, let’s pray together.”

Find the rhythm that works for your family.

Children can still experience consistency, encouragement, prayer, and connection even when everyone’s schedule doesn’t place them in the same room at the same time.

💛 Keep Encouragement Going Through the Challenging Days Too

Every school year will provide opportunities for our children to learn and grow.

When a challenging situation arises, begin with love and connection.

“I love you.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“I’m listening.”

“We’re going to work through this together.”

“Let’s pray about it.”

Give your child room to explain the situation. Listen to the whole story. Help them think through their choices, what they learned, and what they can do moving forward.

Children and teenagers are still learning how to navigate friendships, emotions, responsibilities, disagreements, disappointment, communication, and decision-making.

These moments give us opportunities to provide guidance while continuing to surround them with love.

💛 Keep God at the Center Throughout the Year

The prayer you prayed before the first day of school doesn’t have to be the last.

Pray throughout the year.

Read God’s Word together.

Encourage your child to develop their own daily time with God as they grow.

Celebrate answered prayers.

Pray through difficult situations.

Thank God for progress.

Ask Him for wisdom.

Talk about how His Word applies to friendships, decisions, kindness, responsibility, perseverance, forgiveness, character, and everyday life.

Let your child see that God is the center of our lives—including our school year.

💛 Setting Them Up for More Than a Successful School Year

Ultimately, we’re helping prepare our children for much more than classrooms, homework, tests, and report cards.

We’re helping them develop responsibility.

We’re teaching them healthy routines.

We’re helping them communicate.

We’re encouraging perseverance.

We’re teaching them to recognize growth.

We’re helping them learn to manage responsibilities while caring for themselves.

We’re encouraging them to develop their relationship with God.

And through it all, we’re giving them a consistent foundation of love.

💞🙏🏼😊 MUCH LOVE FOR YOU ALL!

YOU’RE FOREVER IN MY PRAYERS!

Shawna S.

Author | Veteran Educator (31 Years)

Academic & Family Advocate

Founder, Encouraging Mondays: Coaching the Heart and Mind

😊💛 For additional encouragement and support, check out the Blog Titles ‘God Is Always With Our Children Even When We Can’t Be: Covering Our Children In Prayer”, and Encouraging Mondays: How to Build and Maintain a Safe Haven for the Children in Our Care, and the message on the Teens Hub Saferoom page entitled, “Teen Fridays Special Back -To- School Message - Lesson “. There are other resources God has allowed me to prepare for our children and us adults. Take a look at the pages here on this Encouraging Mondays Website, in the Encouraging Mondays Online Store, and on Amazon under Shawna S. 🙏🏼💖

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