Summer is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner. This means that school is almost back in session! Here are some helpful back to school tips to help your family prepare for the new school year.
1. Back to school tips to help you get organized
Use the new school year as an opportunity to organize your kids’ closets. Your kids can help with this task by going through their closet and finding the clothes that don’t fit them anymore. You could even turn this into a game and say for every five pieces of old clothing that you clean out of the closet you can replace it with a new outfit. All of the old clothes can be placed in a bag and donated to a local charity. Making room for new clothes by getting rid of old clothes should be a fun motivation for kids to jump on this first back to school tip!
2. Practice a school day at home
For kids starting kindergarten school is still an unknown to them. A fun way to help young children get ready for starting school is to play “school” at home. This can range from practicing to pack up backpacks to doing pretend school work at the kitchen table. Kids are excited to start something new, but they may need some help to know what to do once they arrive at their new classroom. Another important tip for kids is to practice following instructions without talking back. Teachers will expect kids to be able to follow classroom instruction without having twenty kids all talking back or asking questions at the same time. You can explain this to your kindergartener and say “when your teachers tells the class to sit at their tables and get out a pencil, you should follow the directions without talking.” Then you can practice this at home! This is also a nice way to get your kids to do their chores without talking back!
3. Get back into a normal schedule
Some kids stay on a pretty regular bedtime and rising schedule during the summer. Other families have later summer nights and enjoy sleeping in all during their vacation. If your family has gotten onto a summertime schedule then it’s a good idea to start adjusting your kids’ schedules at least one week before school starts. If you don’t get back on a regular schedule ahead of time then your kids will probably have a pretty rough first week back at school! You don’t want your kids falling asleep on their desks during silent reading time!
Going back to school can be a fun and exciting time, but it can also be a source of anxiety. Make sure you help your kids relax and prepare for the new year in a way that promotes positivity. Here are some more helpful back to school tips for reducing anxiety.
