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Back to School Success!

Back to School Success

Summer fun is winding down and the family is getting ready for back to school shopping. The school supply lists are out, there are new clothes and shoes to buy, backpacks to fill up and schedules to get back into. Here are some tips to make your summer to school transition an easy one.

Establish a routine for school days.

  • Make it visible someplace where the whole family can see and access it.
  • Make it interactive even if it is a checkmark or a small sticker for each task that is completed.
  • Fill it with fun pictures and add times so the expectation is clear.
  • Be consistent.
  • Give small rewards when all items are completed on time each day.
  • Make it both fun and manageable for all.
  • Get input from your children on what order things should happen. (The more you get their opinions the more likely they are to follow the routine.)
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Getting back into a regular bedtime routine is important, too. Here are some ideas of things I have done with my children ages 8, 12 and 15:

  • All electronics turned off and placed on the charging station for the night (I do not and have not ever allowed computers, tablets or phones of any kind in their rooms after 7pm.) If they need to work on something or want to play something they have to be out where myself and my husband can see them.
    • The charging station is a small side table that has a “charger with several USB ports that can charge many things at once.
    • Everyone has their own cords for their own devices. No question if there is room for this or that.
    • I can check in one location to ensure everything is all accounted for and not in someone room with them.
  • Getting ready for bed includes, showering, putting your dirty clothes away, brushing your teeth and if you are a girl drying your hair.
  • They all have age appropriate chores that need to be done before getting ready for bed each night.
    • Younger children feed the animals and put their laundry away and help empty the dishwasher.
    • Older children fold laundry, vacuum, dust, and wipe down sinks and counters and tables.
    • Everyone takes their dinner dishes to the sink and rinses them and puts them in the dishwasher.
    • Everyone does their homework after they get a snack when they get home from school
  • Everyone has an age appropriate bedtime.
  • Everyone has limited screen time that includes devices or television. (They know how much time they get each day so there is no arguing or negotiating.)

Most importantly you have a plan, everyone knows the plan and you stick to it. Routines are so important for children it helps to keep them on task and less stressed. When you are confident that your day will go as planned, you will be less stressed, too! Finding and keeping reliable before and after school child care can be tough, but at Finding Me Now Learning Center, we have your back! If you are in need of care for your family, come check us out.

–Jennifer E. is the Regional Director of Finding Me Now