Now that school is almost back in session, one of the things that you want to do is to make sure that your children are ready for it. Below are some of the tips that you will find helpful to make the transition easier for you and your child from summer schedule to back-to-school.
Start a Schedule for the Morning
Now is the time to wake the kids up when they will have to get up during the school year. If your children are older, then encourage them to set their alarm clock or their phone so that they can be responsible for getting up on their own. This will make the transition a lot easier when school starts.
Eat a Good Wholesome Breakfast
One of the biggest things that you should instill in your children is how important breakfast is. If things have been looser during the summer, it’s a good idea to start them eating healthier things such as whole wheat or grain toast, bananas, apples and other things. This is going to help them to have the energy so that they are mentally alert throughout the day rather than having a crash in the middle of the morning from eating a sugary cereal. Below are some tips to use.
- Prepare your breakfast early – This is going to help with making sure that your children have a nutritious breakfast. Things that you can do is make French toast or pancakes that you freeze and then freeze individual portions that can be toasted. You also can cut fruit up the night before. Another great option is making breakfast burritos like a fast food restaurant has and freezing them, then they can be reheated.
- Get the kids involved – Allow your children to help with planning your meals. This is going to help with increasing their interest. If they’re old enough that they are able to help you with breakfast, put items on the lower shelves in your cupboard or fridge so that they’re able to reach them easily.
- Focus on what they like – If you have a child who doesn’t like milk, let them choose some low-fat yogurt. You even can make smoothies the evening before using their favorite fruits.
- Take it with you – If your morning routine is so jam packed that it’s hard to find time to eat breakfast, or your little one isn’t hungry right away in the morning, find something portable. A piece of fruit, a tortilla with eggs and avocado will make a great breakfast. Or you can even make some of those breakfast burritos up for a portable breakfast that they can eat.
Have Them Lay Out Their Clothes Before Bed
This is going to help you with avoiding frantic mornings. This way your child doesn’t waste time trying to decide what they want to wear in the morning. It also will help avoid them finding their favorite purple shirt or socks. If your child is younger, allow them to choose from a few options. When you do this, it’s going to help your child have the habit of doing it when school starts.
Pack Healthy Lunches
When school is a month or so away, plan your child’s lunch and make it for the following day the night before. Although school’s not yet in session, this is going to help your child with getting used to packing their lunches. Make sure the lunch’s labeled and it’s going to be ready for them the next day. Here are some tips that you can use to make it easier during the school year:
- Keep your snack foods in one location that you are using just for your kids’ lunches. These could be things like granola bars, string cheese, yogurt tubes (freeze them and they’ll be ready for your child to eat when lunch comes around). This way you have separated the lunch snacks from the regular snacks, and you won’t run out, hopefully.
- Save your disposable containers like those from butter, sour cream, and others. These are perfect for packing and sending tender fruits and dips to school. This way you don’t have to worry about them throwing away your expensive containers. If they throw it away, it’s fine. If they don’t, even better.
- Remember to pack some vegetables. Carrots are handy, but they also become boring. Think about what your child likes to eat. Broccoli, celery, cucumber and other things are tasty and healthy, and they are crunchy like chips. There are also dried veggies that you can get.
- Don’t pack too much. A lot of kids don’t have a lot of time for the, to finish their lunch. You don’t’ want to go overboard with packing a lot of things. It’s going to overwhelm your child and it will likely go to waste.
- Remember to pack a drink. The smaller sized water bottles are a good choice, or if they want to buy milk in the school cafeteria it’s also a good idea. The smaller water bottles also can be filled with some homemade juice.
Have a Schedule for Lunch
Begin eating your lunch at a consistent time since your kids are going to be doing this when school starts. This is going to help their stomach to be on the right schedule so that they aren’t distracted and hungry when they are in class.
Have Dedicated Time Without TV
Figure out when your child is going to do their homework. Are they going to do it as soon as they get home or are they going to do it after dinner? Then, have the television off during that time. This is going to help them with getting into a routine. Even though they don’t have homework right now, you can use this time for talking with each other or encouraging them to read a book.
Play Word or Board Games
One of the best ways that you can encourage your child to keep their brain focused and engaged is through having them play games. This is going to help with ensuring that your child’s ready when school begins. It also will make their transition a lot easier for them and you.
Have a Routine for Bedtime
A lot of times, an early bedtime will not be enforced during the summer. But kids need a lot of sleep so that they can learn. Make sure that your children start having a set routine for bedtime. This way they’re ready for going to bed at a more regular time before school starts.
Buy School Supplies
Even though you aren’t going to know what your child will need yet, things like notebooks, pens, pencils and other items are pretty much a given. So buy these items for your children so that you avoid the rush.
We hope that you have found this to be useful. We have a lot of items in our store that can make things much easier for you and your children now and during the school year. Please check and see what we have to offer and feel free to ask us any questions that you have. We are always glad to help you.
