For many of us, summer is coming to an end, and the new school year is upon us. As much as I love summer and being able to spend more time with my daughter doing outdoor activities and having fun, I really look forward to the school year. And it helps because my daughter is such a fan of school. Going back to school can be hard after having more than two months off, but there are ways to help your child adjust again to the back-to-school schedule.
You can start with establishing the bedtime for school before school starts. About a week or so before my daughter begins her new school term, we put back in place her regular bedtime of 9:00 p.m. This gets her back into the habit of going to bed early and waking up early in the morning. When it’s finally time to go to bed for school, she is already pretty much used to doing so.
Creating a schedule for the day is also a great way to get your child organized and on track. We have a morning weekday schedule and an evening one that we use for school. Every task on this schedule has to be checked off in order for my daughter to receive her allowance. Just like you do with bedtime, start your child on her weekday and evening schedule a few days before school starts so she can get a feel for it before the real school year begins.
Having an organized bedroom and closet is another great way to prepare your child for going back to school. Go through your child’s closet with your child, and box up the items that no longer fit or that your child has outgrown. You can give these items to a local charity. Hang up clothing in terms of style (i.e., pants, shirts, jackets, etc.) so that everything is neat, tidy, and easy to find. This will make picking out what to wear for school easy and painless.
Also, get into the habit of preparing as much as you can the night before, so your back-to-school morning is a snap. Pick out clothing, shoes, and accessories and hang them up to be worn the next day. If your child is elementary age, have her take a shower or bath the night before, so in the morning it is not as hectic. You can even pack your child’s lunch for the next day and leave it in the fridge. When it’s time to get into the car or head to the bus stop, just take out the lunchbox and send your child on her way.
The start of a new school year is a wonderful time for both parents and children, but it is even more awesome when it is organized and on track. Happy Back to School!