My daughter starts 2nd grade this week and she is beyond excited to go back to school.  She can’t wait to see all of her friends and meet her new teacher.  She is full of confidence and joy and counting down the days.

But this was not the case two years ago when she started Kindergarten.  She was scared.  She was starting at a new school.  She didn’t know any of the kids in her class, and she had never been away from me for that many hours a day.  In pre-school, her teacher let her bring a stuffed animal to school that she could snuggle with if she felt sad or missed mommy, but I knew that we couldn’t expect that to be ok in Kindergarten.  That is where the “word bracelets” idea came from.

I told Karis that we would sit down and create some bracelets that she could wear to help her remember that mommy loved her and would pick her up right after school.  We talked about how when she felt sad or missed me, she could touch the bracelet and be reminded of my love.  The idea sparked more conversation about what other things she might want to remember at school, so we brainstormed other words and these are what we came up with…

• love
• joy
• confidence
• kindness
• brave
• peace
• calm

These words provided great conversation for kindergarten preparation as we talked about what each word meant. I told her that she could choose one or more bracelet to wear each day depending on what she felt she needed to be reminded of.

I wish I could say that the first few weeks of school were a breeze for Karis, but it was not an easy transition for her.  Thankfully, she had a very kind teacher and sweet classmates who helped her to become comfortable at her school.  And I’m sure her word bracelets also helped to reassure her in those sad moments of missing her family.

Maybe you have a child starting a new school and you are looking for something to help them with that transition.  Or maybe there is a word that would help your child with a character trait that they are working on.  Pick up some plastic beads, letter beads, and stretchy string and spend time making bracelets with your child.  Not only with they love their creations, but they will also love the quality time spent with you.

For another “Back to School” idea, check out my post:  DIY Visual Schedule For Kids