Back to School Routines for Kids

Back to School Routines for Kids

The best childhood memories are made in the summertime! Bike rides, vacation, summer camp, more time spent relaxing with friends, swimming, staying up later and sleeping in are nearing an end!

As the summer comes to an end, so does our relaxed summer schedules. Getting back into the routine of another school year is often a difficult transition for both parents and children. As a mom of two teenagers, I still feel the need to curtail their schedules, activities and curfews to ease into the new school year.  

Here are a few ideas that were gathered from local parents around town that helped prepare their children for another year of school.

Younger children do not understand the concept of time, so there are ways to make the end of summer bearable! Marking off a calendar a week before school starts, showing the number of days remaining until school starts again, will help prepare them for the changes that will be made soon.  

A discussion with children letting them know their new bedtime, when school starts may help with any resistance when this change is made.

Having prepared lunches and items needed for the next day, ready the night before, helps make the day start out less stressful. Running around trying to find the book or PE uniform needed for that day starts the morning in chaos. Being prepared makes it easier on everyone and makes the morning routine run smoother, not to mention keeping everyone in a better mood!

Earlier bedtimes will help prevent sleepy, grouchy kids. That will make learning and focusing much easier when you have had a good night’s sleep.

Limit caffeine and late dinners. Have a set dinner time.

Have uniforms, books and items needed for extra-circular activities for the next day of school gathered the night before will help if you are in a time crunch the following morning.

Have a schedule made for homework, TV and bath time.

Make sure children have a healthy breakfast before heading out of the door for school.

If you have a child changing schools for the upcoming year and they are anxious about starting a new school, remind them there will be other new students who feel the same way. This may make starting a new school less stressful for them if they realize they are not the only children feeling this way. Another way to acquaint new students is — before school starts — have a play date scheduled with another child or children you may know who already attend the new school.

Parents may want to finish projects around the home that need to be done before school starts. With school schedules, homework and extracurricular activities, you will have less time to work on those tasks.

Having a homework “station” for kids to do their homework is a great idea to keep them organized. Having a designated place that has extra supplies handy (i.e. pens, pencils, erasers) will make it easier for kids to complete their homework without searching for needed items. This will help save time!

Getting back into a school routine after summer has ended is an adjustment for everyone, but children are resilient and fall into a routine pretty quickly. The more parents stick to a schedule the easier the transition will be!!