Using Routines to REALLY Prepare for Back to School
Is your child ready for school? Are YOU ready for them to start? We think about buying the clothes, book bag, and supplies. We think about how excited they are to start. But are they REALLY ready? Do they know how to cope with changes? Do they know how to do things without you being there? Can they entertain themselves without an electronic device? Do they know how to follow a routine? Can they keep up with their things? What about you – can you keep up with all the activities and materials that are about to come your way? This post will help you prepare for what’s coming… beyond the excitement of new school supplies!
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Establish routines.
What do you mean? We brush our teeth before bed, right? Children need structure. It’s predictable and helps them feel secure. They know what to expect. Once they get in a routine, they know it’s not a negotiation point – to stay up late, get up at a certain time, brush your teeth, or put on your shoes. Some things just have to happen for something else to work without stress.
Before school begins, practice the routine of getting ready to go somewhere in the morning. What do you do first, next, etc. before walking out the door. You can make a list if it helps. I made a list for my kids once they could read, so I wouldn’t have to keep saying the same thing every morning! Not only does the practice help them know what to do next, it helps you know how much time it takes to get them up and out the door. Just plan for a little extra time once school begins, since you don’t want to be late for school! If your child will be bringing their own lunch, put it in your routine to get the lunchbox. If your child has to take medication, put it in your routine.
Tips to help with morning routines:
• Get clothes out the night before, locate socks and shoes and have them ready as well. If your child wants to pick out what they’re wearing, let them do that the night before. You can lay out two or three choices if that works best.
• Set a timer or alarm. This can be for you or for them. Be sure to set it in advance, to allow for problems or issues that you’ll have to remedy at last minute. It also takes a few minutes to get in the car. Don’t forget that!
• Prepare breakfast, lunch, snack, and water the night before. If you have something cold, prepare it and leave it together in the fridge. Everything else can already be placed in the lunchbox or book bag.
• Check your child’s book bag the afternoon or night before school. Many times, there will be notes from the school or teacher, homework or assignments, forms to sign, or field trips to pay for. Checking this daily after school will prevent stress in the morning.
• Limit tech. If you allow your child to have “tech time” in the morning, be sure to set a timer so they’ll know when to get off. It’s important to be on time for school, and if they don’t want to stop playing a game, that’s going to be a problem.
• Keep it positive. If you have an issue to discuss with your child, before school might not be the best time to do it. If it can wait, just talk about it later. Arguments and conflicts before school will stay on your child’s mind throughout the day, making it hard to focus. If they misbehave and must get in trouble before school, just talk to them positively before loading the bus or leaving the car.
• Try the charts below. They’re fun and help kids stay motivated!
Tips for afternoon or night routines:
• Have a stop time for TV or tech. Children need to play and need some freedom to do so. This helps them decompress and unwind from the day at school. If they have a stop time from this free time, this helps them start their nightly routine of getting out clothes and preparing for bed.
• Spend some time talking. Talk about their day at school. Talk about what they like to do at school. Talk about who their friends are at school. This will keep the communication open between you and your child, so they can confide in you when there’s a problem.
• Have quiet time and prayer together. The time spent just before bed is precious. Take some time with each of your children, just reading a Bible verse and praying before bed. I did this with each of my children and wouldn’t trade it for the world! They will eventually do this on their own, so it’s great to be able to help them establish that routine. You may prefer to do this in the morning, but I chose to do it at night.
• Eat dinner together. This gives you time to talk with your child, and helps you teach them how to eat at a table. Table manners are a life skill that your child is practicing every day at school. However, if you don’t eat with your child, you don’t know how they’re progressing with this. Also, when they see you eating healthy foods, they’ll want to do the same.
Tips for coping with change:
• One small change at a time, or one addition to the routine, might help your child get used to the idea of change. Depending on the child, you could add one change in the morning and one in the afternoon. Just start small and add one more every few days.
• It’s ok to say no. You are the parent, placed by God to raise this child. Children can’t be expected to make adult decisions, so we sometimes say no.
• Limit tech. Video games and apps have instant rewards and can be addicting. Have something else for your child to do besides tech. Then put the tech up for a specified time each day. This will help foster creativity, helping them to be able to entertain themselves without technology.
Tips for getting and staying organized:
• Help your child learn where things are supposed to go, and remind them to put things away. This will help them stay organized and prevent stress in the long run.
• Make lists. Grocery lists, To Do lists, Lunch idea lists…
• Use a folder for school papers. A folder kept at home with important notes and papers is essential! This helps you know where to house the important stuff, and you can get to it quickly.
• Make a memory tub. Your child will bring home lots of papers. LOTS OF PAPERS! Filter through them and decide what you will keep and what you won’t. Don’t feel guilty about throwing away a few things. If you want to do this each month, that might help you let go of insignificant work.
• Put a calendar on the fridge! This helps my kids (and my husband) know when things are happening. We all use it to keep up with the many activities.
• Get a planner. There are many great planners out there. These can be for children or parents. I have found several great ones online and in stores.
• Check out this multi-tasking notebook! I created this from the list formats that I use when mult-tasking. I’ve also listed some links to other planners below. Try them to see if they can help you keep everything together.
Getting into a routine is a great way to prevent stress and get to school on time. I hope these tips have helped you! If you haven’t already done so, visit my other posts and follow me on Pinterest. Comment with your own tips, so we can help each other start the school year with success!
