August, 2008
Issue 21

Tips for Successfully Transitioning Into the New School Year

Slowly transition from the unstructured recreation of summer back into the disciplined routine that the coming school year will demand of you and your children. Stepfamilies may find this adjustment especially challenging because of differing rules and expectations between the households.

The following tips will help you and your children prepare for the new school year.

1. Schedule a meeting with your former spouse and review rules, goals, and expectations for your children. The more similar these are in both households, the easier it is for your children to transition between them successfully.
2. Encourage your children to respect, accept, and follow the rules of their other home. Your acknowledgment and validation of their other household will help your children in their adjustment to both homes.
3. Review with your children your rules and expectations of them in the upcoming school year. Consider a behavioral chart with younger children (3-11) and behavioral contracts with older children, specifying rewards and consequences.
4. Provide your children with a pleasant learning environment at home. Have designated areas and times for study, free of unnecessary distractions.
5. Communicate with your children’s schools. Notify them of any changes in your family structure, such as remarriage. Also, request to be on the school mailing list, especially if you are not the custodial parent, as schools often leave them out of the loop unless explicitly requested otherwise.

If you have any questions or would like a consultation, please contact me. I am also available for scheduled presentations on Step-Families, for your groups.

Group Updates

Free
Stepfamilies Support Group: an ongoing (monthly) support group, open for both men and women in stepfamilies. We meet the second Monday of every month, from 6:30-8:00 P.M. Join us in sharing, exploring, and supporting each other in our stepfamilies' processes. Please, RSVP—mandatory for attendance—as seating is limited.

People seem to be excited about the new personal and professional opportunities this fall may bring. School-age children also look forward to seeing their friends and starting a new path academically.

Please e-mail me any topic suggestions or questions you have regarding your stepfamily.

Next Issue: Next: Tips for Becoming a Proud Stepfamily

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63 Tips to Help You Connect
and the classic
Seven Steps to Your Stepfamily Survival, coming soon.

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Stepfamilies: 63 Tips to Help You Connect

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