Back-to-school time is always a huge transition. Not just for the kids but for us parents too! Life’s pace has been so easygoing and now it’s time for the whole family to jump back into schedules, homework and early bedtimes. While our children may be excited to see what friends they have in their classroom or what teacher to prepare for, we are nervous with thoughts of, “are we ready?!”
Our sleep routine has got to be one of the toughest adjustments. Bedtime? What’s that?! We will surely miss sleeping in until 9 a.m. and hanging out in our PJs til noon. To help ease the stressful mornings with tired and grumpy kids, we begin our “school bedtime” about a week early. It’s the only way.
Trust me! But this doesn’t mean that the summer fun has to be cut seven days short. Plan a fun summer getaway to top off the months of water parks and sleepovers. It doesn’t have to be far. Arrange an overnighter at your favorite beach or take the train to Santa Barbara!
Packing lunches the night before is a lifesaver to help avoid that extra stress in the morning. It also allows more time for some special touches. A sweet note or a special treat can make their day. Get them involved too!
Their lunch bag may be more likely to come back empty!
A great way to give your kids some responsibility and have a little fun is shopping for school supplies together. Before summer begins, your students are usually given a supply list for the upcoming grade. If not, the school website should have something. Let them pick out their own backpack and lunchbag. Enjoy a scavenger hunt as they mark off their checklist in the back-to-school section at Target… which, by the way, has been up and running since the beginning of July!
Scheduling haircuts and yearly well-check appointments are also on our back-to-school to-do list. Once the sports and homework start, good luck trying to squeeze those in!
They can start the school year looking and feeling their best!
Now it’s time for you and your child to enjoy the rest of your summer break! With a little organization and some forethought that first day of school will be a breeze.
