It’s been one amazing summer! We hope that you and your family have enjoyed quality time together, family vacations, playing outside, and sleeping in. As July comes to a close and we flip the page to August, there is only one thing looming in the minds of children and teens; it’s already time to gear up and head back to school. For parents, this may come as a welcome change but for their school-aged children, this may come as a time of dread.
If your family is like most others around the state of California, then the summer break has meant big changes in your daily routine. This is a welcome surprise for the summer months and allows for a lot for free time for children. However, difficulties and problems may arise when it’s time to go back to school and resume your school-year routine.
We understand that the adjustment to a school schedule can be difficult for every family and we want to help make sure that your family’s transition is as seamless as possible. We’ve scoured the internet to find a few suggestions to assist with this transition.
- Take your child back to school shopping – You can help build excitement about returning to school by having your child participate in picking out and purchasing his or her school supplies.
- Enforce bedtimes and wake up times a week before school begins – By starting to enforce a set sleeping schedule, your routine will be easier to start back again when the time comes.
- Read with your child – Gear up for the school year, and inevitable homework, by setting aside 30 minutes each day to read a book with your child. This will help to get back into an educational-based routine and refresh their mind on reading skills lost in the summer months.
- Plan after-school activities – Sit down with your child and select a few school organized or community organized after-school activities. This will give your child something to look forward to throughout the week and incentivize going to school.
- Schedule out family meals – The first few weeks of school can be very hectic. Rather than scramble at the last minute to prepare dinner or ultimately just give in and head to fast food restaurant, plan a meal calendar for your family and purchase items in advance from the grocery store. This will help stay on track with healthy eating habits and save you some money.
There are dozens of other helpful back to school readiness tips floating around from parents like you. Do you have other suggestions about how to help prepare your children for the start of a new school year? Drop us a comment below and help out other parents. We wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and educational year!