Getting Back Into The School Routine
Kids are typically excited and just a bit nervous about going back to school, but getting back into the routine can be an adjustment for both kids and parents alike. A great idea is to start some “back to school” practices a week or so before the big day, allowing the family to get back on the schedule for earlier mornings and earlier bedtimes.
There are some simple routines that parents can use to get the family geared up to get into the school groove. These can be a lot of fun and, with a bit of creativity, kids will quickly see the benefits and learn some great organizational and time management habits for life.
Night Before
While many parents already do this, getting kids into the habit of choosing their clothes for the next day before they go to bed saves time and frustration for everyone in the morning. Younger children may need help to choose the right combinations, but having everything organized and ready to put on in the morning over the last bit of summer helps.
Homework
Hopefully the family did some fun academic-related activities over the summer, but if it was a less structured time you can start to build in “homework” time before school starts. This can include reading for 20 minutes, working on math basics with flashcards or even buying a few low-cost workbooks and doing a couple of pages per day.
Time Away
For some children, it can be a challenge to be separated from Mom or Dad or the family when school starts again. If your child is sensitive to the separation from the family consider a daytime activity group, drop-in childcare, or community-based activities where children are very well supervised but away from Mom or Dad for a few hours at a time.
Talk to your children about the school year and help them to set personal goals. You can also make a chart of the goals and check back regularly to see the “mini” goals and large accomplishments each child has made throughout the school year.
