Getting Kids into a Back-to-School Routine

It’s already mid-July (yes I had mid-June), which means kids are just about ready to head back to school. Okay, so the kids may and may not be ready to head back to school, but either way we must prepare them. I

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notice that the years I prepare my children it makes the transition from summer to school that much easier. Otherwise I deal with the moody, grumpy kids that I only wish to have prepared. Here are a few steps to help get them back into that Back-to-School routine.

Step 1: Did you know it is recommended that a child sleep between 8-10 hours a night? So your goal here is to figure out a decent time so that your child can get the full amount of sleep. Try making it a routine and make them stick to it. Yes, I know it is still summer and children are currently staying up until 11, midnight or 1 a.m. but this isn’t going to help them prepare for school.

Step 2: Stick with your decision. Many times mom and dad decide one thing but a few nights later they give in due to it being summer and the kids are once again all over the place on the bedtime. They will try it once the school year begins and you might have a harder time.

Step 3: Begin having them eat a good breakfast or preparing their own. You know if you aren’t going to be the one making them breakfast every morning during the school year maybe they should begin learning to pour/make their own now. They may even find out they like other items that you may not normally make.

Ideas: pancakes, muffins (blueberry, oatmeal, etc) with a bit of butter, fruit smoothies, eggs, etc.

Step 4: Get those back-to-school lists. It is possible to go online and look up your school to get the supply list you’ll need to buy before the school begins. However, if it ends up not being the case you can normally get one from the school itself or Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has already began their school sales. You can decide what to get now, keep a list on you (in case you see an item you know will be hard to find), or wait for the big sales it will come in handy. We purchased a few items now as we knew certain things wouldn’t drop any lower (lunchboxes $5 each).

Tip: You may want to consider waiting until the BIG Back-to-school sale or putting items on layaway.

Step 5: Get those class/bus schedules. Find out what teacher your child will have and what time school starts. If they are taking a bus you may want to find out what bus number and when it will be at your designated stop. Be prepared and get there a few minutes early in case it is early on the first day.

Finally, make sure your children are all up-to-date on their shots and if they need to have anything else turned in. Sometimes schools want a vision test, doctor’s note if they have allergies, etc. If you haven’t done it yet, you should start preparing at least two weeks before school starts. Either way I hope this list helps and you have an enjoyable summer vacation, now I’m headed to check out any future back-to-school sales.