This week’s Monday with ME takes a closer look at supporting and encouraging children during the back to school transition.

It’s back to school time and your kids are ready with their backpacks and new shoes, but are they ready emotionally?

As kids and parents anticipate the start of a new school year, it is common to feel both excitement and concern. It’s easy to focus on the material aspects of getting ready for school – new clothes and school supplies – but emotional issues need attention as well. Whether your children are in preschool, kindergarten, middle school or even college, you play a key role in helping them prepare for a confident, positive start to the new year. Marti, Erin and their friend Kate Hopper (well-known writer on all things motherhood) have a free-wheeling chat about mastering back-to-school concerns, a conversation that is sure to prompt you to tune in to what your children are thinking and feeling and how you can provide the support and encouragement they need.

Click the picture below to ‘tune in.’

Do you remember your first day of school? Were you excited? Nervous? Shy? Did you know anyone? Please comment below!

I remember my first day of Kindergarten. I had on pink corduroy pants, a white heart t-shirt and tennis shoes. I had a clear vinyl bookbag with a rainbow stripe on it. I was so very excited and only a little bit nervous. I couldn’t wait to get inside, put my things in my cubby, and find my desk. One of my favorite activities was to pound nails into a tree stump  and put sand through the sifter toys. My teachers said I talked too much…imagine that!