10 From GEM:
10 Ways To Get Ready For Back-To-School
By the end of this month, most of us will have kids who are back in school. Summer goes by so quickly, though maybe not quickly enough for some of us! Buying school supplies and clothes is the easy part of the back-to-school equation; getting yourself and the kids mentally prepared takes a little more work. Acclimating to school doesn’t need to be painful. As always, we at Goodenoughmother.com are here to help. Read on for 10 ways you can get your family ready for back-to-school.
1. BRING BACK SCHOOL ROUTINES
School routines tend to fall to the wayside during the long, lazy days of summer. You go to bed a little later and sleep in a little longer. Use the last couple of weeks of summer to reintroduce school routines. Start enforcing a strict bedtime, but do it progressively by moving the time up 10 or 15 minutes every night until you get to the school year bedtime. Have your kids get up and dressed at the same time every morning.
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2. GET USED TO LEAVING THE HOUSE
Plan to do some activities, even run errands, a few mornings before school begins. This gives you a chance to practice the morning routine. This can be a challenge—especially if you’re a working parent—but you’ll thank us when you don’t have to throttle the son who’s used to lounging in his pajamas all morning.
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3. END OF SUMMER CLEANING
Cleaning is a never-ending activity. There’s spring cleaning and green cleaning; now there’s back-to-school cleaning. You don’t need to clean the whole house and, depending on your kids’ ages, you may not have to do much cleaning yourself. This is the time to clear their rooms of summer things and make room for fall clothes, school supplies, and other necessities. Have your children clean and organize their workspace. Rearrange furniture—it sends a powerful psychological statement about new beginnings and starting fresh.
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4. HANDLING HOMEWORK
Make sure your kids know what’s expected when it comes to homework. Establish the homework area and the time it should get done. Whether it’s a desk in a bedroom or the kitchen table, get it cleared of junk and make sure it has all needed supplies.
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5. PLAN YOUR MEALS
Don’t add meals to your list of things to worry about. The school year brings new challenges because you’ll want to have easy meals during the week. Take some time to plan several weeks of quick breakfasts and dinners and rotate.
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6. AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Create a plan about where your kids will go and what they will do after school if you haven’t already done so. A new plan should be done yearly because circumstances change. You may have three children at three different schools (all with different start and end times, of course), someone needs to ride the bus and another doesn’t, or your work schedule has changed. You’ll feel better if all after school accommodations are worked out well before the first day of school.
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7. SHOP CAREFULLY
August is the second biggest sales month for clothing retailers, and the back-to-school hype started the day after the 4th of July. Don’t get caught up in it. Before you go out and buy too many new items, take inventory of what your kids already have that can still be worn. Then you can write a list of what they actually need before you spend money. Shop thrift stores and resale and consignment shops before you pay inflated prices.
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8. DEAL WITH BACK-TO-SCHOOL
JITTERS
No matter your children’s ages, they might feel nervous about going back-to-school. Their worries could be academic, social, or personal. If they express concerns, be supportive and ready to listen. Ascertain what their fears are and be matter of fact with your comments. Be reassuring and try not to heighten their fears with your own war stories.
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9. ATTEND ORIENTATION
Go to any back-to-school meetings and orientations. It gives you a chance to meet the new teacher and get an idea of what the year will look like. Establishing a line of communication with teachers sets the tone for a positive relationship throughout the year. You know your kids well, but the teacher doesn’t. Let the teacher know important things like illnesses, allergies, or behavioral issues. Make sure the teacher knows that you are on the same team when it comes to your child.
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10. DON’T TOTALLY REMOVE
FUN FROM SUMMER
It’s still summer break until the moment school starts. Even though you want the kids to get into school mode, don’t completely take away the fun of summer. Plan a final summer activity the weekend before school starts. Let them keep watching their favorite TV shows that are verboten during the year. It’s still summer and they’re still kids.
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How are you getting your kids ready for back-to-school? Have you even thought about it yet? Share your plans below.
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Alexis Trass Walker lives in Gary, Indiana, with her husband and four children. She is a stay at home mom and writer who loves all things chocolate. Read more about Alexis on her blog lilliebelle.org, email her at alexistrasswalker@gmail.com, or follow her on Twitter @LillieBelle5.
