As the weather starts to cool and the days get shorter, it means the first day back at school is right around the corner!
And for most parents with elementary students, going back to school means one thing: adjusting to a new routine. Your kids have probably gotten used to sleeping in, eating whatever they want, going to bed late, and not having a firm order for their days.
And while that’s fine (and, let’s be honest, fun) to enjoy over the summer months, the start of school is often a crash back to reality, and can therefore be a difficult time for your little one. While there is no way to make going back to school 100% perfect, there are helpful tips and tricks that you can do to make the transition a bit easier for everyone!
How to Get Back Into a School Routine
Start early
Don’t let the first day back to school be the first day of your new school routine. The sooner you start transitioning your child to their new schedule, the better. Use the final weeks leading up to school to slowly transition your child to an early bedtime and earlier wake-up call. Make sure they are getting meals around the times they will be getting them in school, and try your best to mimic what their days are going to look like.
This can be done with a slow transition that involves moving their bedtime up by 10 minutes per week and having their wake-up call follow the same. Ultimately, your goal is to get your child ready for the new routine and not make the transition so harsh on them.
But this process isn’t just for your child, it’s also for you! Make sure you’re changing your schedule to get plenty of rest so you can be ready to hustle your kids out the door each day!
Schedule playdates with classmates they haven’t seen in a while
Oftentimes, our summers get so busy with vacations and family commitments, your kids may not have seen their “school friends” in quite some time. This can make the first day a little difficult because your kids might feel like they have to start all over again with those connections. Getting together with other parents and planning some fun activities together can make the social aspect of school feel less scary and make kids more comfortable with each other come the first day.
Involve them in school supply shopping
Although it would be much easier to just go to the store with your school-provided list of supplies and get out as fast as possible, a shopping trip can also be used as a beneficial step in getting everyone excited about school. By letting your kids pick out their own folders and pens, it lets them feel like they have some level of control. You can talk about all the fun things they are going to learn and projects they get to work on. This also allows you to spend some extra time together before that first school bell rings.
Sit down and have a plan for the first day
You can prepare your child all you want, but everything you worked for could go out the window when it’s finally showtime. This is why you need a plan for the first day of school that is rock solid and ready to go. Know exactly what time you need to be out the door, and make sure to explain to your child the importance of getting up and being on time.
Part of your plan should involve tying up all the loose ends in your child’s preparation. Make sure their backpacks are loaded up with everything they need, pack their lunch the night before, decide ahead of time what’s for breakfast, and even have your child pick out their back-to-school outfit. The more of these things you plan for, the less likely you are to have a first-day mistake!
Give it some time
While the advice we have given above is a great way to minimize the impact of going back to school, just know that it is going to be a bit of a struggle no matter what you do. Adjusting to a new schedule isn’t easy for everyone, and the mixture of nervousness and excitement might have your child feeling more stressed than they would normally be. It can make you think that maybe this is just how it is always going to be. It won’t! Even after the first week, you will be able to make more adjustments to make sure your children are set up to succeed for an amazing new school year!
Remember that children are resilient, and even though they might find the process tough at first, they will be back into their normal routine in no time at all! Interested in making your back-to-school routine even more of a breeze? Check out our before or after-school care program, where we help with transportation from local schools.
