Summer vacation is always laid back in our home regardless of how hard I try to stay on a schedule. We let our kids stay up a little later, sleep-in in the mornings, and life is just a little less structured. With summer vacation’s end upon us, it’s time to start making some changes to prepare for the new school year. Here are five ways to help your kids get back into a school routine (before the first day).
5 Ways to Help Your Kids Get Back into a School Routine
With the first day of school looming above our heads, it’s time to start making some changes to prepare for the new year. Here are some ways to help your kids get back into a school routine (before the first day!).
Start with the Bedtime Routine
During the summer, our kids often fall into bed way past their bedtimes. Showers are saved for the morning and *gasp* teeth are not brushed. A week or two before school starts is the best time to refresh your kids’ (and your) memory of how bedtime works.
Practice the Morning Flow
Summer mornings are all over the place – half the time we are on vacation and the others are a free for all. However, school mornings must be structured and move like a well-oiled machine or everyone falls apart. We have always used a checklist system to remind my daughters what must be completed before we leave for school. It works every year!
The television is my nemesis during the school year – if my daughters turn it on before they’ve done any of their morning tasks, nothing goes smoothly. I always reinstate the ‘No TV Before Checklist’ rule at the end of summer until all morning tasks are complete. Visual reminders are EVERYTHING, so I highly recommend printing or writing out a list of things to do every morning before school.
Here are two examples for back to school morning routines: pictures for younger children and a checklist for older kids.
Reward Reward Reward
I know my daughters are going to grumble the minute I mention any wake/sleep adjustments or take away morning television. However, if I offer a reward for their participation in our back to school routine practice, I know the complaints will stop. Discuss incentives with your children and track their progress on a chart with stickers or smiley faces. Perhaps your child can earn an extra t.v. show or the extra large marker pack you didn’t think was necessary at the school supply store. At the end of the week, reward good behavior with an end of summer ice cream or s’mores.
Make Dietary Adjustments
It may sound silly to recommend making adjustments to a child’s diet, but my kids eat like crap during the summer. Too many visits with grandparents have lead to dessert after dinner and mid-day popsicles or sweets. Rid the house of any leftover summer sweets and reintroduce all of the delicious and nutritious food options you can think of. Avoid sugar and caffeine near bedtime too!
Talk about Going Back to School
Kids can get anxious about going back to school, so make sure to talk about any feelings that may pop up. My daughters become sad summer is over, so I remind them of how sad they were about the school year ending. We discuss anything that makes them feel nervous – which is usually just the unknown about a new grade.
THIS IS NORMAL! All of the feelings are normal. Schools may hold “Meet and Greet” hours before the first day – this is a must-do for all students! I tell my daughters it’s “okay to feel your feelings” and that we will be here for them every step of the way. Then we get excited for learning new things and making new friends. Finally, we go back-to-school shopping and plan a first day of school outfit.
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