Back to School
Back to School can be exciting but also sometimes tough as you and your kiddos re-start routines and say goodbye to Summer! In this blog post we want to give you a few tips to make this transition back to school easier on everyone.
Routines:
Sometimes routines are thrown out the window during Summer. Especially for our kiddos, they stay up later, sleep in longer, lunch time isn’t always at noon and we definitely aren’t making them sit still like they do in the classroom! To make that first day of school easier, don't wait until the first day of school to re-start your routines. Give your family time to get back into the routine of the school year by easing back into your new daily schedule. Slowly change bedtimes and wake up times to match what they will be when school starts. Begin creating the routine of meal times and maybe even start having them do some worksheets, learning games, reading etc. to get back into the rhythm of structured learning. Getting you and your kids back on the timing of your routine will make the first day of school that much easier.
Time to Talk:
Change is hard on kids (and adults); even if this is your child's first time going "back to school" or their tenth. Talking about school not only mentally prepares your kids, and you, but it also opens up opportunities to talk about what your kids are looking forward to or what they are nervous about. The goal of chatting about back to school is to help kids get excited and prepared mentally; it reminds them school is coming and to think about what that means. Use your words to focus on the fact that they “get” to go back to school, not that they “have” to go back to school. How you react, communicate and focus on the back to school transition makes a huge difference in your kiddos and their excitement and it also will help you as a parent/caregiver to know where your child needs the most support in those first few weeks.
Facilitate Some Fun:
Knowing that it’s almost time to go back to school can be disheartening for kids; they start to realize summertime is almost over and they will be back in the classroom 5 days a week . A great way to counter this is to give your kids something to look forward to during those first few weeks of school. Whether that be a special dinner on that first day or some fun weekend plans create some excitement as they make the transition Back to School!
Discussing Details:
As parents/caregivers we have to be ready for back to school just as much as the kids! Figure out the specifics; transportation, meals, after school childcare, etc. Having these details ironed out in advance will make that back to school time so much easier for the whole family. And if you are looking for part or full time childcare don’t forget to reach out to us and book your free discovery call today!
Navigate the New:
Going back to school your child will most likely have a new teacher, new classroom or even a whole new school to get used to. Taking time to meet their teacher, visit their new classroom and even play on their new playground can help make the transition so much easier. If your family doesn’t live close to your kiddos classmates it may be helpful to arrange a playdate with two or three of the friends from school to rebuild existing social ties or help make new friends before they are in the classroom!
Do you have any other ways that make the Back to School transition easier for your family? Dm us on Instagram; we would love to hear them!
As always, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more blog posts and don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly family newsletter here, follow us on Instagram, or like us on Facebook for more content!