Tips for Back to School

The long summer days are winding down. Routines over the last three months have quite possibly been a little different. Hopefully, lots of sunny day activities have filled the memory books. Believe it or not, it is time for all of our schedules to return to normal. Some kids (and parents) are probably dragging their feet, while others are eager for what is ahead. Regardless of your disgust or excitement, our team wanted to provide you with some of our tips for back to school.

At Home

• Lay out clothes the night before.
  • Have the kids help you by being part of this decision making process.
  • It will help save time and indecisiveness in the morning.
• Keep breakfast simple.
  • Create a menu for the week so everyone knows what to expect.
  • Prepare items ahead, if possible.
• Give yourself plenty of time to get everyone out the door without feeling rushed.
  • Consider practicing this in the days leading up to school starting.
• Keep a weekly calendar of assignment due dates and activities that is visible to everyone.
• Check bookbags and folders every night!

At School

• Buy school supplies in advance.
  • Stick to the specifics on the class list.
  • There is a reason the teacher is requesting certain items!
• Attend the school’s open house if it is offered.
  • Meet your child’s teacher.
  • Drop off school supplies so there are not so many things to take on the first day.
  • Help your child become oriented with where to go. It can be overwhelming for some.
• Become involved with PTA or find other ways to volunteer at the school.

Make it Special

• Leave encouraging notes in their lunch box when they pack.
• In the morning, take a few minutes to relax, talk about the upcoming day and plans for after school.
• Create a goodbye ritual every morning when they leave, such as a hug, secret handshake, thumbs up signal or kiss.

Stay Safe

• Create a password secretly kept with your family.
  • If someone else besides mom and dad or grandparents are coming to pick your kids up, they must know the password! Otherwise, the kids are not to go with them!
  • This is also helpful in public places as well.
• Review pick up and drop off plans, especially if it is different on certain days of the week.
• Bus safety is extremely important! Read about school bus safety for drivers and riders from us right .

Practice Makes Better

• If the school’s cafeteria requires a PIN number to pay for lunch, practice it on a keypad of some sort.
  • Make up a little ditty to help remember it.
  • Keep doing it until it is memorized.
• Pack a lunch and practice eating it at home prior to school starting.
  • Set a timer to help them get an idea of the 15 to 20 minutes they will get. [Check with the school about how much time is allotted.]
  • Make sure packages or containers can be opened by themselves so they do not have to wait for help.
  • Identify the items that need to be brought back home, such as reusable containers.

We hope some of our tips for back school are helpful. Summer is so fun, but sometimes it is nice to get back into a routine.

“May every teacher become a mentor. May every classmate become a friend. May every lesson teach and enrich you. Here’s to the best school year ever!”

Wishing you an amazing and awesome year!

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