It is officially back to school season whether you love it or hate it. The lazy days of summer are gone, traffic is worse, and school and activities fill the calendar. This time of year can be a difficult transition for parents and kids alike. There are some easy things you can do to ensure a smoother journey into the back to school routine.
Get Organized for Back to School
With everyone venturing off in different directions each day and evening, back to school can be overwhelming. Getting schedules organized can help ease some of that stress. Take some time to load your families’ individual schedules into one central calendar. This can be a calendar app such as Google Calendar or a physical calendar. As soon as a new schedule is provided, be sure to add all the dates. This way you’ll never feel like you are missing something important. If you are hand writing a physical calendar, color code each family members commitments so they can quickly see their information. Keep it in a central location such as a kitchen or mudroom.
Another vital back to school organizing essential tip is to provide your students with a good place to study. A clutter free desk area stocked full of all the supplies they need can make homework time less of a hassle. Kids will be hard pressed to come up with an excuse for not getting their work done.
Get to Bed – You have School tomorrow
Sleep is essential to overall health, more so than many people realize. Everyone is different, but as a general rule of thumb infants need 16 hours, teens need 9 hours, and most adults require 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Be sure to get the whole family to bed on time so everyone can face the next day at their best. Creating a bedtime routine is critical. Whether kids are little and enjoy a book read to them or they are teenagers and need their electronics put away, keep those routines in place that work best for your family. Essential oils diffused may do the trick, or a fan or white noise machine could work best. Do some experimenting to find your best bedtime routine.
Make mornings less hectic by packing lunches the night before. Have the kids pick and lay out their outfits for the next day. Not only do these small steps save time but they can help things go much smoother in the morning.
Back to school doesn’t need to be a stressful time of year with a few small changes to your routine. Now that things are on a schedule set up annual doctor and dentist appointments and do your best to get the family together around the dinner table as often as possible. Before you know it, summer vacation will be here again so enjoy the school year while you can.