Today I want to share with you four steps for a smooth transition back to
school.
Step 1: Evaluate
Evaluation is the key to thoughtful parenting of your
children in every area. Take some time
to stop and take stock of the last school year.
What worked for you and what didn’t? Don’t forget to talk with each of
your children and get their evaluations as well. Your children will feel loved
and appreciate the time you spend planning. Have your children take inventory of
their school supplies and clothes from last year and decide what they actually
need.
Check out this bundle of back to school printables on sale
this week and you will find many helpful worksheets for this step.
Step 2: Prepare your home
It’s time to exchange the beach bags for backpacks! Does your homework area need to be
reorganized? What lunch supplies are
needed? Does everything have a place and
do your children know where that place is?
The main areas to prepare are:
· Their Closet: Have them try on their clothes and get rid of
everything that no longer fits so they will have a closet full of things that
they can actually wear. Here are some
helpful hints that Becky has for organizing your children’s closet.
· A launch/ landing pad: A Launch pad is
the place where they will “take off” each day.
They need to have everything in that spot before bed so that they won’t
be late to school because they are hunting around for their Math book. They also need a place to “land” when they
get home so they can unpack their lunches and get going on homework with
ease.
· The Kitchen: Have a meal plan in place
for breakfasts and lunches ahead of time so you won’t be scrambling and running
to the store unnecessarily. You may also
want to prepare a special cupboard for packing school lunches like this one.
· A Homework Station: The kids need to know
where to find pencils, paper, pens, markers, etc. Whether you use a cupboard, kitchen drawer,
desk or an old hutch to keep your supplies organized the important thing is
that you kids know where to find what they need to get the job done!
Step 3: Create a routine
Whether your child is 9 months old or 18 years old, they
need a daily routine. Kids need to know
what to do and when to do it for their school days to go smoothly. Though
I can tend to be free spirited, I have come to realize that I need order so
that there is more time for fun!
My children and I need time to go for walks and to play with
the baby, time to chat with my 10 year old over a cup of hot cocoa. I need to have time to hear about the cross
country drama or that adorable guy in the men’s choral.
Creating a daily routine for yourself and your children that
has plenty of flex-time built into it will eventually help you to enjoy your
family more.
If you have never created a routine for your family there
are a few ideas to get you started here:
Step 4: Practice Practice!
One of the most valuable back to school habits for my family
is to practice. Get your whole family in back to school mode by practicing your
new routine the week before school starts.
Some things to practice include:
·
Getting up to your alarm
·
Getting dressed first thing
·
Your morning and evening routine
·
Making lunches
·
Using the launch pad
·
Reading daily
The younger kids need to practice more than the older ones
but you should also have your tweens get up and ready a couple of mornings
rather than hanging out in their pajamas till noon during that last week before school starts. Clearly explaining your expectations and
practicing them as a family will make the transition to the busy school days
much easier for everyone.
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and remember to have fun
getting ready for school!
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