There is so much involved in preparing for the new school year—it’s not simply purchasing supplies and clothes. The kids AND the parent needs to be in the proper mindset for school. The kids will shift gears from playing all day long and staying up late to early wake-up and doing homework every night.
For me, the new school year means saying “good-bye” to the quiet time that I had to myself on my drive to and from work. It will be replaced with a structured daily routine that starts with early morning controlled chaos and a gentle “hurry-up” from me. I always experience an element of angst about afterschool care arrangements since healthcare can be so demanding and I may not get out of work on time. Fortunately, I’ve found some strategies that can ease everyone’s transition to the new school year.
8 Ways to Prepare for the New School Year
- Appointments. Use the summer to get your well-child checks, immunizations, and dental exams out of the way. Make your health a priority as well, so add yourself to the “to-do” checklist and schedule your well woman and dental exams.
- School supplies. Beat the rush and get the school supplies early. Let your child take part in the process by allowing him to choose his own school supplies. If you missed something on the list, you have plenty of time to purchase it before the school year starts.
- Initiate conversations about the new school year. Get your kids excited by talking about what they can expect, including snack, playground, reading, computers, singing and art. Share your own stories about things you loved about school. Ask your kids what they think about school. It may uncover any fears they haven’t expressed before. Normalize any fears and reassure them that the school can reach you if necessary.
- Jump start your child’s brain. Research has shown that kids forget a lot during the summer. If your child has been reading through the summer months, good job! If not, it’s never too late to start. Introduce the idea that for the rest of the summer everyone in the family will read for an hour every day. This will help with the transition to resuming structured class work and homework.
- Move up bedtime. A couple of weeks before school, return the kids back to a school night routine by gradually moving their bedtime earlier. Imposing an early bedtime cold turkey, the night before school starts results in a child who simply not ready to go to bed. In that situation, you can expect everyone’s anxiety to escalate. So, keep an eye on the calendar and start moving bedtime a bit earlier every night by having kids read in bed for an hour before lights out, which is also good for their reading skills.
- Bedtime the night before school. Be sure the kids lay out their clothes and the lunches are made. Get up early enough to be prepared to address any last-minute crises. Don’t forget to take the “first day of school” photo before you leave home! Plan to arrive at school early so you have time for meaningful goodbyes.
- Lunch planning. To free up some of your after-work time, and to help your kid foster independence, prepare the next day’s lunch together. Your child will take ownership of their food choices and it is an opportunity for you to catch up on the day’s events.
- Solicit help. If you have a partner, coordinate a plan to divide and conquer transportation, homework, meal planning, etc. Don’t expect your partner to read your mind–communicate your needs. Reaching out to friends or neighbors to coordinate a carpool could be mutually beneficial. If your finances are flexible, explore the opportunity to hire a nanny for afterschool care or to have a housekeeper do monthly deep cleaning.
- Keep an organizer. Jot down all upcoming school events, half-days, and holidays. Inquire about potential field trips well in advance, so there is an opportunity for you to arrange the day off well before patients are booked into your schedule. Make sure to schedule your “self-care days” which means taking time off for yourself to re-energize. Use different colors to represent each person in the household. Share the organizer with the family so that everyone is aware life events.
The new school year offers a lot of excitement, new adventures and opportunities for growth. Having a daily routine and being organized will make life a lot easier for everyone!
Call to Action: What would help you transition smoothly into the new school year?
Subscribe to my newsletter and receive your FREE 13-page Self-Care Starter Kit. If you need a boost of motivation or inspiration, follow me on Facebook or Instagram to catch my daily quote.
You made some really good points! I will start with the doctors and dentists appointments this week and moving the bed time a week or two weeks earlier sounds great! Thank you!
Good for you, Imelda! Moms sometimes put our needs on the back burner…we need to make ourselves a priority too we can’t drink from an empty cup.