It won’t be long. Start preparation for back to school now for a smooth transition.
How is it possible that the school year is already approaching? As parents we get to relive the excitement—and often anxiety—of a new school year through our kids. Whether you are the parent who celebrates the return to school, or the parent who longs for summer to stick around, the goal is to make the transition back to school as easy on the whole family as possible.
Here are 4 tips to an easier transition to the upcoming school year:
Prepare the logistics.
Is it a new school? If so, what’s the bus route? Who will be driving the kid(s) to school? How early will you need to leave? When my oldest started kindergarten, I didn’t think about looking into the bus route for our neighborhood. On his first day riding home on the bus, my poor kiddo was convinced that the bus wasn’t taking him home. The bus came through the subdivision the back way, and I had never had a reason to drive home from that direction before. Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry long since his was the second stop along the route.
Shop early for school supplies.
Growing up, I always loved shopping for new school supplies. Our school’s PTO has given us the option to purchase our supplies and have them READY AND ON THE STUDENTS’ DESKS on the first day of school. If your school offers this, do it. It saves time and hunting, and your child won’t be wondering why his folder is not the same color as his friends’. If available, this usually has to be done early in the summer, so if you have missed it for this year, make sure to take advantage of it next year.
Some schools and students do not have the resources for new supplies. If you are in need of supplies or if you have the ability to donate supplies, find out if your school has a sister school, or check for an organization in your area. If you do have the means to donate school supplies, involve your children in the process. Finally, double-check dress code policies and purchase uniforms early if needed. Consider purchasing clothes/uniforms that fit slightly bigger in the event of a late-summer growth spurt.
Start your school-year routines early.
Take a week or so at the end of the summer and begin some of your family’s school-year routines and rituals. On school days, do your kids usually put the next day’s clothes out before going to bed? Do they get dressed before breakfast? Do they go to bed later during the summer and get to sleep in? (Lucky you if they do! I wish my kids were capable of sleeping in!) Have they been watching more television? Go ahead and begin to cut back on screen time and increase book time. Starting some of these routines before school starts will help with the transition.
Plan out your after-school activities.
Look ahead to your after-school schedule. Are your kids involved in sports? Dance? Clubs? Find out if there is any overlap and figure out how kids will get to their activities. Planning ahead will make sure you have plenty of days with no scheduled activities. In our house, we have worked to keep two weekdays free of scheduled activities. This formula has worked well for our family. Use an online family calendar to help everyone stay organized. In addition, it’s nice to have an activity board in the kitchen that can be reviewed each morning during breakfast.
Be excited about the new school year and help your kids look forward to new adventures in the classroom.
This post was written by blogger, human resources professional and mother of three Shabnam Aminmadani.
Do you have any tips? What plans do you have to make your back-to-school transition go smoothly? Please share in the comments below!
