Buying books and making uniforms are not the only back to school traditions practiced in Jamaican households. You missed out on the perfect childhood experience if you were not forced by your parents to partake in either one of the following activities as the dreadful September morning approached.
- After consuming many fruits, candy and sugary drinks for two months, children face a washout, when parents administer a laxative to rid the body of the harmful sugary chemicals.
- While kids are trying to make the best use of their final week of summer and dreading their return to school, parents drive the back to school preparations up a notch by regularizing the children's sleeping pattern, forcing them to go to bed from as early as 7:00 pm and waking up at 6:00.
- With books being terribly expensive and Jamaicans wanting to make the most of every dollar, parents wrap textbooks to preserve their covers so that at the end of the school year they can be handed down to others or sold.
- After having countless days of playing, camping, and watching television children are encouraged by their parents to begin reading their literature books or other novels to get their brains back into the mood for school.
Having experienced these traditions, we can all agree that these practices helped to make the transition from a relaxed summer to a rigorous school schedule very smooth. We were energized, well-rested and eager to make the best of the new school year.