Wow, a new school year is here already! The wonderful thing about being a part of a child’s life (or working in academia!) is that each September brings a fresh start and a wealth of new information, friends and gear. As an auntie, you can be a major part of this exciting time by being prepared for the rush and being stocked with a few tips and tricks that will help you guide your nieces and nephews toward a great school year.

1) A backpack isn’t just a backpack
As you attempt to help your niece or nephew get ready for the school year, I’m sure you’re excited about helping them pick out their new gear, maybe even so excited that you decide to buy it for them! This might work out OK for some general items, but know that many older kids have definite preferences as to the brand and type of supplies they get, and that most schools now have supply lists that the students have to follow. This means that just any old binder might not work and that a funky blue backpack that you love won’t pass the cool test of your niece’s middle school. School supplies are something that should probably be shopped for with your niece or nephew in tow, and perhaps with their school supply list in hand. Before you scoff at this advice, think back to your middle school years – I know that my aunts definitely wouldn’t have known about the Trapper Keeper that I was coveting for months before school shopping began!

2)  It’s not YOUR homework
This is a tough one for parents and aunts alike. When the child in your life is struggling with homework, it’s so tempting to jump right in and take over. This, however, is NOT the answer for the child’s homework problems. Your job is to be there as a resource and a helping hand – you can ask the thoughtful questions that may lead to the child figuring the problem out for himself, sit and work through the math problems together, or proofread the writing assignment. You can even help build the popsicle stick house that’s a required project, just don’t let your niece sit back and watch while you build it yourself. A guiding rule is that you should be the assistant while the child should be the project leader – at all times.

3)  Make time for fun
Getting ready for the school year and the excitement of the new routine can be a lot of fun, but can also be rather overwhelming. Make sure to schedule some fun time too! You can be a part of the extracurricular activities that go along with the school year or even just make plain old play dates to add a little silliness into an otherwise busy school week. For older nieces or nephews, how about a coffee or mini-golf outing? These can be times to just sit back and catch up on all the social news that you just have to know about to keep up with the craziness of high school life!

4)  It’s not about pencils and paper anymore
This is a big one – if you’re going to keep in touch with your middle or high school aged nieces or nephews, you’d better make sure you’re a quick texter or typer because the best way to stay in contact will be on a keypad or keyboard. Perhaps you’re already doing this with your “grown-up” friends, but it’ll definitely come in handy with your younger family members as well. Maybe even use Facebook or Twitter to keep connected – it’ll show that you care and help you know what makes the teenager in your life tick.

5)  Google is your best friend
When helping out with homework, Google is hands down your best friend. While you definitely to make sure that you use this tool wisely and practice good searching techniques, it can make life infinitely easier when helping with research or even when answering questions from younger kids like, “Why is the sky blue” or “Why do dogs wag their tails?” Just remember that the first 3 results aren’t always the best ones and that when using the internet for research, students have to be very careful about checking for authenticity of sites and not plagiarizing.