Below are three important school connections that you can help make happen.

1. Think how you can let your children know that you miss them while they are at school. You could fix a special snack or dinner item and let them know you did it because you like to think about them during the day. You could tell them you’re glad to see them when you pick them up from school or daycare or when you greet them at the door at home – whether you are there when they get home or if you arrive after them. You could plan an evening activity with them and tell them during that activity that you miss them while they are gone.

2. Teachers need to know the interests and talents of their students. Plan to talk to your children’s teachers about their special interests and talents. When you are with a teacher, suggest that he or she try to offer your child reading, math, and/or science activities that connect with his or her interests and talents. If you think your children dislike school or are bored at school, share that with their teachers. Let your children know how much fun you had telling their teachers all about them and their special interests and talents.

3. It’s important that your children think their teachers like them. Ask your children to think of all the ways their teachers let them know they like them. If this is a hard question for them to answer, you can suggest some ways. For example, do they smile at them when they come into the classroom? Give them some extra help with problems? Laugh at funny things with them? If your suggestions still don’t give them any ideas. Ask them to look for things the next day and talk about it again tomorrow after school.