Back to School!

Winter break is coming to an end. After all the excitement of the holidays it may be difficult for your children to get back into the school routine. No matter the age, returning after a two or three-week break can be a challenge. It’s just as difficult for adults to return to the faster-paced routine of school, homework, and after-school activities. Rather than a stressful return, you can take a few steps to facilitate a smooth transition.

Prepare in advance. Depending on the age of your child, you can determine the tasks your child can complete independently. You know your child’s habits, so you know best if you need to verify that everything is in ship-shape the day before.

1.) Pack the back pack the day before.
2.) Select and lay out her clothes the day before.
3.) Fuel your car the day before. Get into the habit of fueling your car at times other than before school or work to reduce stress.
4.) If your child brings a lunch, make it the night before and put it in the refrigerator. Place a “Post-it” style note on your child’s back pack reminding her to grab the lunch in the morning.
5.) Check your pantry and refrigerator. Make sure you have ingredients for a healthy breakfast.
6.) Before bedtime set the table for breakfast so your family can serve themselves simple things like fruit and cereal.

Organize your home for school morning success.

1.) Place all your non-refrigerated breakfast foods in one area of your pantry. This will make it easier to track inventory of your breakfast foods and easier for your older children to access.
2.) Make a grooming checklist for your younger kids. Attach it to their bathroom mirror or inside of the door. It will help them remember all the grooming tasks they must do each morning.
3.) Establish an area and bin where each child can store her school things. Create a separate place for items needed for sports and special activities. Train your child to always return her items to the proper storage area for easy retrieval later. Label the areas with words for older kids and label with pictures for your very young children.
4.) Create a weekly planning calendar. Note activities as well as what special items are needed for those activities.

Making sure all the work is done. Nothing is worse than hearing at 7:30 am that your child needs to finish her math homework or that a note needs to be signed.

1.) Help avoid that stress by creating a homework station. Make sure that homework is put back into backpacks as soon as it is completed so it is not forgotten.
2.) Sign all school notes and forms immediately. Place it in the proper folder after signing.
3.) Record important reminders on your planner as soon as you receive the notice.
4.) Set the alarm allowing an additional 15 minutes for the unexpected.

You’ll be amazed at how these simple steps can make such a big difference. Careful, you may even find yourself humming a happy tune in the morning rather than scolding your children to “hurry up!” Children and adults will appreciate the peaceful routine.