Well that summer flew by! Vacations are over, camp has ended and the school year is on everyone’s mind. So it’s time to put away the beach towels and pull out the pencils instead. By now you’ve probably checked your child’s supply list and grabbed all the binders, crayons and glue sticks they’ll need. You’re all set to send them off fully prepared to start learning, but…are they ready to get back into a routine?
The transition from sleeping in, playing with friends all day and not having a care in the world to suddenly sitting and listening all day and studying at night can be brutal. Luckily it doesn’t have to be if you follow a few tips to ease the transition.
Tip #1: Establish a Sleep Schedule
Set a bedtime and a wake up time and stick to it. Yes, even on the weekends because who wants to start over again week in and week out? Following a sleep schedule will dramatically help. Your child will start to feel tired around the same time and be more willing to go to bed. They’ll also start to wake up naturally. No more extreme grogginess, snoozed alarms and dragging kids out of bed.
Tip #2: Create a Morning Routine
With the sleep schedule in full effect your child will start to wake up naturally. What next? Work with your child to list what needs to be done from waking up to heading out the door. Before this routine becomes engrained in them you’ll have to help them remember it. For older kids this can be a checklist. For younger kids this might be a list of images representing the actions and placed in the order to complete them. Either way you and your child will be on the same page and the morning rush will subside.
Tip #3: Make the Meals Ahead of Time
Taking a little bit of time Sunday to meal prep for the week will be a lifesaver come the school week. Instead of dashing around looking for something suitable for your child or wasting time at Wawa buying junk, pack those lunches Sunday. There’s no better time saver than just grabbing a Tupperware container stocked with food and heading out the door. Pictured here is my favorite bento lunch box. With five nicely portioned sections you can easily make sure your child is hitting the different food groups to eat a well balanced meal. There’s no need for a million little containers to label. No more wondering how those nicely labeled containers got lost on the way from school to home. There’s just one nice big container with little dividers so the food doesn’t touch because we all know how kids hate that. So if you’re looking to simplify your day to day, buying some bento boxes will do the trick.
The beginning of the school year is an exciting time full of meeting classmates, wearing brand new clothes and getting to know the teacher. Hopefully these quick tips will make it an easier time as well. Do you have any good tips? Let us know in the comments below!
Wishing you well,
Sarah