With the first day of school just a few weeks away, parents everywhere are beginning the annual “Back to School Scramble.” Frantic and frazzled parents ask, where is the school supplies list? Do you need a new backpack? Yikes! Do any of your clothes from last year still fit?
Does this sound familiar?
Unfortunately, this disorganization can cause incredible stress for parents and children alike. In fact, author Cheryl Patterson of Healthy Living Magazine writes, “It’s no fun living in chaos, with messes here and lost items there. Especially frustrating are situations like not being able to find things when heading out the door, while trying to get to work on time, causing faster driving, and setting that stressful pace for the morning…and wreaking havoc in other ways we may not realize. Research indicates that when our environment fails to meet our needs, it affects our functionality, productivity, social choices and health.”
To ease the transition and help your kids have the best school year ever, put the following back to school strategies into action now. These easy tips can save a lot of anxiety later!
- Shift your schedules:The lazy days of summer are over. Ease your child back into a school schedule by shifting his bedtime towards a normal school-day bedtime and waking him a bit closer to the time he needs to get up for school.
- A run-through (or two!):The week before school starts, get your child up, dressed and fed at the required time. This will help to point out any problem areas so that they can be addressed before school starts.
- Clean house:Go through his clothes and get rid of any that do not fit and replace what is needed. It is easier to pick out clothes in the morning if there is less clutter. A divided hanging bin for a week’s worth of outfits is a life-saver. Plus, it staves off any early morning clothing wars and forgetting gym clothes for the appointed days.
- Study buddy. Prepare a study area for homework by clearing a dedicated space for homework and study. This is where the backpack lives (not under the bed, in the trunk of the car, or on the back porch).
- Stock up on supplies:Get out the teacher’s list and go shopping for all of his school supplies. Buy extras of essentials that will be needed later. (Bonus! The prices are better for school supplies at this time of year.)
- Get all papers in order:Make sure all enrollment papers have been filled out and returned to your child’s school. Make appointments for needed immunizations, health insurance forms, and sports physicals.
- Create a calendar:Set up a large calendar with the whole family’s activities for each month. Nearby set up baskets or bins marked “To Be Signed,” “From School” or “To School” so your child can easily deposit papers that you need to see and pick up those that need to be returned to school.
Here’s to the best, most organized, school year ever!
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As the school year unfolds, Back to Basics is available to help. Back to Basics offers 1-on-1 tutoring in 60+ subjects, professional development, translating and interpreting in 21 languages, speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavior specialists, reading specialists, paras, ELL services, homebound services, RTI support, psycho-educational testing and test prep. Call us at 302-594-0754!
