It’s that time of year again. Boots tied tight, lunch pack packed. It’s back to school. It can be a stressful time for everyone, especially if this is new, but there are so many ways to make this transition easier.
We gathered some of the top tips from the JKL community in a quick and easy read, to get you and your fam ready for Back to School!
1.) Start an Early Bedtime Before School Starts
Summer is great for a relaxed schedule and bedtime but that can make waking up early for that first day difficult. A few days before school begins, set the schedule back to ‘school-mode’ by getting to bed on time.
2.) Start A Morning Routine Before School Starts
Start waking your up roughly around the same time as when school starts. It’s a good time to get everyone in a routine of waking up and getting out the door at a specific time. Go through the morning habits you’ll have once school starts too.
3.) Start a Lunch System
Put lunch box, tupperware, water bootles, and snack bags in one spot in your kitchen for an easy “go-to” place. Have chopped fruit and veggies in bulk, and prep lunches at least for the first half of the week at the same time. This will save you so much time and energy during the week!
4.) Speaking of Tupperware and water bottles…Label everything!
Especially for kids, put names on everything (Go as far as labelling the lid and base of Tupperware). A great resource for this is something like Mabel’s Labels. They stick so great to everything, come in a variety of styles and can go through a whole school year in the dishwasher!
> Mabel’s Labels
5.) Family Bracelets
Love this one for relationships with kids. Helps if they have trouble separating. Get a two, or three pack of bracelets, perhaps with a charm on them. Give one to kiddo, one to mom, maybe one to dad. And let them know every time they need to they can look at it and think of them.
6.) Homework Spaces
Designate a spot in the house as a homework corner and make a homework caddy, set up with school supplies. It shouldn’t be an event to go find paper, pencils, scissors, markers, etc.
7.) Plan Your Home Meals
The first week back can be tiring on everyone so prep your breakfast and dinner meals ahead of time. For everyone involved, it’s a great investment to take the stress off the first busy week back.
8.) Plan your First Day of School Outfit (and the Photo)
Many parents and teachers will capture some school day firsts for social media. Plan ahead that way it’s not a stressful experience for anyone involved. The first day of school brings a lot of changes and new routines, so don’t get too stressed out about making it perfect.
9.) Build habits and systems
When it comes to lowering stress for students, or children a huge benefit is building systems and habits. Actually, it helps for parents and teachers too! Whatever you can do to create simple, chain reaction routines that remove guesswork will make everything easier.
10.) Set Some Goals
Going without foresight into a school year, for anyone, can be difficult. Whether a parent, student, or teacher set some goals that align with your passions to get the most out of your school days.
11.) Above all, relax and know they are ready-They will make new friends, find their cubby, ask for help and slowly start their new world without you (and allow yourself a little cry if you need it!)
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