Parents often breathe a sigh of relief when school is looming in the near future. Older kids seem to like heading back to school. Younger ones are often unaware of what lies ahead. Kids that are heading into middle school or kindergarten may be a little nervous and unsure of themselves. Here are some back to school tips for parents that may make the transition easy.
1. Prepare Ahead of Time– Don’t wait until the last minute to by your school supplies. Make sure that you hit the sales at least one month in advance. This will give you time to grab those last few necessities without being overwhelmed.
2. Early to Bed- Approximately 2 weeks before school starts put the children to bed at least one half hour earlier than they have been going to bed in the summer. Each night reduce it by ten minutes until you have the school bedtime you wish. The following nights make sure that you put them to bed at the set time. Remember that they also need to be woken up early.
3. Tour the School– Take your child for a tour of the school. Do this when school is not open so they can familiarize themselves with the school ground. This way they will be less intimidate when the kids arrive for the first day of school.
4. Prepare Lunch the Night Before– If they are eating lunch at school, prepare their lunch the night before. This way you will not be as rushed in the morning to prepare it. Place their packed insulated lunch bags in the fridge in full view. This way they will be able to grab it quickly as they head out the door.
5. Meet the Teacher– Meet with the teacher and other staff of the school to get an idea of their curriculum and planned events. Find out if there are any after-school activities or clubs in which your child can take part in.
6. Arrange a Meeting Place– Pick a meeting place in which to pick up and drop off. Make sure that it is close to the school doors. Parents of small children can meet them at the classroom doors.
7. Be on Time– Try to do your best to get your child to school on time. Even if it means leaving home a half an hour earlier. Be there when class is dismissed or have an adult pick them up in your place. Children get anxious and frightened when they are looking for Mom or Dad and neither has arrived.
What do you do to keep yourself sane during this fun time of year?
Those are really great tips for this time of the year. If I don’t get things ready ahead of time, I find myself slowly losing my mind and rushing to get the kids together. Sure enough, we’ll always forget something.
I do the bed times. During the summer time my girls went to bed pretty late, but about three weeks before school started I made them go to bed earlier every night. Now they are in the bed by 8:30 every night.
It seems like the school year starts earlier every year. Where did the summer go? Excellent tips for keeping things organized.
I don’t have kids, but I know it used to drive my parents mad, as I never knew quite what I wanted. x
Back to school is a billion dollar industry every year, we try to save as much as we can because we are on a limited budget.
These are great tips! Sometimes we get so anxious about it we forget the simple things. Thanks for the reminder:)
I don’t want to think about back to school yet! Seriously though, I should probably get back to school shopping. Thanks for the tips.
Getting to bed early is such a good way to get ready for school. I find it so hard to do things when I am exhausted. Really enjoyed reading this and I will be sharing it! Thank you
All great tips that my mother employed with me as a kid! Quite effective 😛
I’m dreading going back to school because that means that I also go back to work and I would rather keep spending time with my boys. I guess it will be time to start looking forward to the holidays.
Back to school time is fun but also stressful. Staying organized is a great idea for getting through it intact!
I am that parent who communicates way more than the teacher can handle lol My kids are bused so when I do go into the school I like to catch up and make sure all is good. I need to get my kids back on routine starting now
After school clubs are not always announced as well as they could be. We found out last year on accident that there was a Mine Craft club the principal ran, and a Lego group. Your suggestion to deliberately check to see what’s going on, is a good one!
All these back to school posts make me cling to each day with my preschooler. It will be gone too soon and I’ll have {gulp} and elementary school aged child!
Great tips for the kiddos– especially the part about not being late.
Preparing the night before is great way to make sure you have easy enough mornings! He’s never been late to school! Last year we missed the school bus twice. Since we do have a car we ended up taking a cab.=)
I am a home educator, but I can really see how these back to school tips are sanity savers.