Back to School Help for a Great School Year!

With some preparation and organization, you can make the beginning of school a great success! Whether your child is going back to the same school to a higher grade level, starting kindergarten or starting a new school, here are a few suggestions to make sure you have a super school year!

1. Have a homework area and routines

Have a specific spot where your child will work on their homework. If you have a specific spot, there are no questions asked about it! You know your child and you’ll know if they are better at getting homework done right after school and getting it out of the way to clear the rest of the day or if they need time to wind down after a tough day at school.  Try different ways, but when you find the way that works,  I suggest to be consistent!

2. Practice your new routines.

Practice your new routines. Be specific on where backpacks should be, will you have backpacks packed up at night before bed, what each child will bring out with them to the bus or car,  will they get their own cereal.  Change it around until it works the best and memorize it. Having good routines will make your life easier and help your child have a great school year!

3. Help your child bond with their teacher.

Get your child excited about his/her teacher. Speak fondly of him/her and share anything you know about the teacher. Have your child bring the teacher a card, plant, etc. if they feel that they’d like to do that.

4. Help your child bond with the other kids.

Kids are usually nervous about their new teacher, but if they know any of the other kids, they’ll feel arrange a playdate so she’ll feel more connected if she hasn’t seen these kids all summer.

5. Getting to bed early – establish a good bedtime.

Most kids begin staying up late in the summer months. But kids need 9 1/2 to 11 hours of sleep a night, depending on their age. (Teens need a minimum of 9.5; toddlers usually do best with 11). Getting them back on schedule so they’re sound asleep by 9 pm to be up at 7 am for school takes a couple of weeks of gradually moving the bedtime earlier. If you have them in bed at 8 and let them read for an hour, they’ll be asleep by 9.

6. Bedtime is a time for extra reading

I had to throw in the importance of reading so I would suggest besides the allotted time you have your child to read every day,  let them read for a while before they sleep. Having a cool light to read with will make the reading even more fun!!

7. Get a good breakfast!

Having a full stomach will have your child off to a good start. If they’re hungry, it’s harder for them to concentrate on their days’ events. Eating sugared cereal in the morning could make them fidgety. If your child has a nutritious breakfast it will make them more prepared to learn and have a great school year. There are some great recipes for nutritious breakfast bars, but even peanut butter toast or a boiled egg in the morning is a nutritious breakfast.

8. Throw in some learning skills and fun!

Even if it’s for 10 minutes a day in the car on the way home, depending on your child’s age, ask questions, play games, start a silly story and take turns adding a sentence to the story, quiz part of the multiplication table, etc. etc.

9. Guidelines for Technology

Have strict guidelines on games and technology unless it’s connected to learning. Children (and some adults) get glued to their screens!

10. Be organized

Create a huge calendar, whiteboard, blackboard, etc., to schedule appointments, practices, after-school activities, etc.