Stress-Free Back to School:

If your family is anything like mine, it’s going to take some effort to get ready for school. And I don’t mean buying school supplies and new clothes. As summer has unfolded, time has blurred, and I hardly know what day it is anymore. Morning routines have gone out the window, our sleep schedules have shifted, and overall the rules have been quite lax. With school beginning again soon, it’s time to get back on the right track so your first day of school can start without a hitch. Here are some tips to get prepared:

1. Start early (a couple weeks before school starts). Start shifting bedtime back to the normal school year time nice and slowly so it doesn’t shock anyone’s system too much.
2. Start getting up and getting ready right away to get back in the routine of needing to be up and out the door. By no means does this mean you have to wake them up at normal school time every day (I know that can be SO early sometimes) but just get in the routine of getting up and getting ready. Save the play for after!
3. Determine if any visuals would help your children. If you have smaller children or just kids who are easily distracted, a visual might help to keep them focused. This could be pictures of what they need to do (eat, get dressed, brush teeth) that they move from a “to do” side of a board to a “done” side of the board or a simple written list they check off. Get these ready and practice with them before school starts.
4. Give big praise and maybe even a little extra reward for getting up and getting ready on time. (Remember, rewards are not forever, just while you get back in the groove).
5. Review with your kids what they need for school. Another idea is to put a visual right by the door so they can double check they have everything they need before walking out the door.
6. Kids need a little more independence? Create a point system where they earn points/tokens/stars for completing tasks independently. At the end of the week they can “trade” their points in for a special treat. (This worked great when my son was smaller and didn’t want to do anything on his own even though he was completely capable).

And…This is not an ad by any means but the Skylight is so great for this type of thing! You can put their morning routines on it, create point systems, and they can see it all and check it off as they go. It’s been a game changer in our home. You can add the app on your phone as well to add things as needed and refer to your calendar even when you’re away from home. Keeps all those school meetings, events, and everything else organized so everyone knows what is going on.