It’s back to school time again! The summer break is almost coming to an end and here we are planning to send the kids back to school. Many parents find it hard to prepare their kids back to school after the laid back summer days.The common problem is that, the summer schedule looks a lot different than the ones that families follow when the school is in session. We are going to discuss how that and a few other things that can be worked on before the school re-opens that will make the back to school transition really easy and stress free for you and your children.
Six ways you can prepare your kids for back to school
1.Start waking them up early if they have been sleeping in during the summer break.
Waking them up earlier each day will help shift the time instead of putting them to bed earlier.When you try to put them to bed early, they might find it hard to fall asleep, causing frustration and disappointment. I am not sayin it won’t work at all but what I am trying to say is that, it’s a lot easier to wake up them up in the morning which will also help them fall asleep early in the night. 15 minutes earlier each day is a good start until you reach the right time.Wake up 15 minutes early and then go to bed 15 minutes early each day. This will have a smooth transition so that the kids won’t be tired and sleep deprived when they start the actual school.
2.Gather all the school supplies needed well in advance
There is noting worst than running to a store at the last moment looking for school supplies. From my experience, it’s hard to find all the supples at the store last minute and not to mention the stress and anxiety that comes with it. Instead, be prepared! Does your child need a new backpack or a lunch kit? Do they have proper clothes to wear to school? Take a shopping trip or shop online , keep an eye out for sales that way you are getting the best deal.Man!,back to school shopping can get very expensive. Some states, also have tax free days where you can shop for back to school supplies tax free. Don’t forget the school supply list. Print it out or write it down or if you normally shop at Target, they have this feature on their website, where you can enter your zip code and look for your child’s school.You then, select your school and the all the items from your school supply list will be added to your cart. How cool is that?!!! Try this feature on the Target website.
3.Make a detox plan for the kids.
Before you freak out, it’s not something like a crazy diet plan where you let the child starve. Absolutely no!,nothing crazy but just a way to balance out all the ice creams and s’mores they might have had during the summer.
Here are few tips to do that:
- A cup or half a cup of warm water upon rising.
- Lemon water(not lemonade ) at room temperature before lunch. This will improve their metabolism and appetite.
- Minimum amount of sugary desserts.Instead, try offering fruits as desserts.
- Cut out all the processed foods.
- Homemade simple & nutritious meals are the best.
- Add more vegetables and nuts to the kids diet.
Let this be a smooth transition rather than forcing changes on them suddenly. Few days before school starts, you can also try this homemade remedy for clearing out the stomach from gas, bloating and helping with upset tummy and pain.
4.Brush up some academic skills.
We have been working on math and language all through the summer break. If you haven’t been doing that (which is totally fine😃), now is a good time to have them solve some math problems and practice some reading and writing ✍️.This boosts their confidence.Remember, how when you are well prepared for something, you are so much more brave and confident? Same applies to the kids as well!
5.Prepare them emotionally.
Share some words of encouragement and make a list of goals together for the school year which you can post it in their room to re-visit later in the school year. It’s also a good time to educate them about child safety and how to deal with bullying.If your child as separation anxiety, this is a great time to have them emotionally ♥️ prepared for the big change.
6.Practice extra measures for staying safe during the pandemic.
If your kids are not used to wearing masks, now is a good time to practice wearing face masks, learn the 20 seconds hand washing and maintaining 6ft distance.Let them know of the good practices that they can follow while at school.
Here are a few things that they need to understand:
- Proper way to wear a mask is, the mask covering both nose and the mouth.
- Cover yourself while sneezing/coughing by doing so into the elbow.
- Not to touch their face.
- Use of the hand sanitizer wisely. Most hand sanitizers are alcohol based and are highly flammable plus they are not to be consumed. The kids need to learn that they only need little amount of hand sanitizer.
- Understand what six feet apart looks like.
Summary
I hope you found these tips helpful. I wish you and child all the very best for the start of a new school year! Let me know if you have some great tips that isn’t mentioned here that you use to get ready for back to school.