22. Back-to-School Tips for Middle Childhood That You Won’t See on Social Media

Back-to-school season can make parents feel like we should be doing more—more prep, more activities, more troubleshooting, more communication. But what if what our elementary kids actually need is a little more breathing room? In this episode, we’re bringing both the parent and teacher perspective to the starting school transition. We talk about building a buffer instead of a frantic end-of-summer ramp-up, why it can take weeks for kids to truly settle into a new academic year, and how to support them through friendship bloopers, big feelings, and the growing pains of independence without treating every hard moment like a problem we need to fix on their behalf. We also get the teacher’s take on what actually matters at the start of the year—from supplies and building a strong parent-teacher relationship to taking the pressure off standardized testing and meeting kids where they are. Plus, we unpack the changing social landscape of elementary school and the increasing threat of "busy" on the downtime and play they still need.Consider this your permission slip to worry a little less about engineering the perfect start and focus instead on giving kids the relationships, scaffolding, and space they need to find their footing.Show NotesWe are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠