Preparing For Going Back to School

When summer road trips and pool days wind down, school is just around the corner. Whether you’re sending your child off to kindergarten or their freshman year of high school, there are some things your family can do to prepare for going back to school. Here are eight helpful tips for students and parents to ensure a successful start to the school year.

Acclimate to the School Schedule

Image by MChee Lee is licensed with Unsplash License

Summer activities can mean staying up late and sleeping through the morning. Casual mealtimes and relaxed schedules are a fun way to spend the summer, but many kids do better with some consistency once school starts. In the weeks before the first day of school, consider implementing some healthy habits, such as consistent wake-up times and bedtimes. Gather the school and work schedules for each family member, and create a calendar or noticeboard with start and end times along with regular activities. A visual reminder in the days leading up to school can help eliminate a panicked first morning.

Try On School Clothes

You can start getting your kids’ school wardrobe together by reviewing the school’s dress code policies. Once you have an idea of what kind of clothes your kids need, you can pull out the pants, shirts, and shoes for school. You may find your younger children outgrow their clothes in just a few months. You can donate clothes that no longer fit them to make drawer space for a shopping trip, or get ahead and buy clothes when you see a great sale.

For some kids, the ritual of shopping and buying a few new school clothes helps the transition from summer to the school year. A favorite shirt or new backpack they helped pick out can build their confidence and ease any nerves on the first day of school.

Acknowledge Anxiety or Excitement

Kids may not offer up their feelings about the upcoming school year voluntarily. It can help if parents ask questions in a one-on-one conversation when you’re in an environment without distractions. Maybe your child would enjoy a special meal or treat at their favorite restaurant.

Kids may open up if parents share their own feelings first, such as, “I remember my first day of seventh grade. I was really nervous about starting a new school. Are you?” Let them share anxiety so you can come up with coping mechanisms together. In addition, encourage them to think about the things they’re excited about or look for things that will be different but possibly better.

Connect With School Friends

Once your kids know their class assignments, it might be helpful and fun to arrange a get-together with classmates or other school friends. Help your kids get excited about seeing their friends every day, especially if they’ve been missing them over the summer. If they’re starting at a new school, and school rules allow it, meet friends at the school and walk around to see where the different buildings are. The kids can plan where to meet their buddies on the first day to help ease those new-semester nerves.

Plan Lunchbox Menus

If your children take packed lunches to school, the last few weeks of summer are a great time to get back into lunch planning and packing mode. You could go on a dedicated trip to the grocery store together and pick out some special lunch snacks or talk about new meal ideas to try while browsing the aisles.

Back at home, you can get out the lunch boxes or bags for a good cleaning. Make a plan together for preparing lunches, whether that’s sharing the duties together, packing lunches the night before, or making a list of everyone’s favorite items to post in the family information center.

Fill Out Forms in Advance

Schools require forms for sports activities, field trips, parking passes, and various other things. The last thing you want is to scramble around the first morning of school searching for pieces of paper handed out at orientation nights or hunting through your emails for links to online forms. If you are given the option in advance, the best time to gather and sort out what you need is when you have time to sit quietly and read the forms carefully.

Set Family Goals for the Year

Many families choose to come together for a special meal or family meeting time before school starts. Some families find that setting an intention, choosing a family theme, or planning goals for the school year can help everyone focus on important family values as they get busy with schoolwork and activities.

These intentions can be centered around a religious text, a code of ethics, a favorite song lyric, or a beloved family book. Your family may identify a habit everyone wants to improve, such as gathering for dinner each night or spending part of the weekend all together without distractions. Setting goals together can be a unifying and bonding experience for family members of all ages.

Prepare a Homework Station

Some families like to set up a dedicated communal space with desks for laptops, stationery for homework, shelves for organizing, hooks for backpacks and coats, and bulletin boards for important information. For young kids especially, having their school items contained in one spot can help with tidiness, and if it’s within earshot of your main grown-up space, parents can offer homework help when needed.

Older kids may want a more private desk space in their bedrooms. However you choose to organize your home, creating a dedicated study spot can help separate areas for homework, sleeping, and family living. You might take a trip to the store and gather some fun new school supplies to make the area feel fresh and ready for the first day.

The end of summer fun and family adventures can be hard, but we hope these eight suggestions help your family prepare to get back into school routines. Are there any tips we missed? We’d love to hear about them. Feel free to contact us, and let us know what helps your family get ready for the first day back at school.

Tags: Education
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