Are you a parent who is looking for back-to-school tips? Check out our list.
- Set your children’s sleep schedules to “school time” two weeks before the first day.
- Get your children interested in programs they can do after school to keep them active.
- Visit educational attractions like museums to shift their brains into “Scholar” mode.
- Employ an after-school sitter to help care for your children while you’re at work.
- Urge your children to read at least one book before the school year begins.
- Acquaint your children with the calendar plan they’ll utilize to manage their activities.
- Try apps to help your children organize assignments.
- Let children choose a scheduling tool they’re excited to Utilize.
- Plan weekly meetings to review your children’s schedules ahead of the week(s).
- Build a family calendar that tracks everyone’s activities and commitments.
- Rejuvenate your rules about screen time for the school year. What’s allowed and when?
- Set up a set “Family Time” during dinner or before bed.
- Give children a specific day when they can choose all the activities you do together.
- Determine how long it takes them to do assignments to help with time management.
- Utilize an egg timer to get your children used to focusing for specific periods.
- Teach your children to prioritize their assignments by making to-do lists with deadlines.
- Give your children a short break after each assignment they finish, such as a short walk.
- Set a regular alarm each day that signals the start of homework time.
- Discuss what your children can expect on the first day to feel more prepared.
- Visit the school with your children to familiarize them with their new environments.
- Plan playdates with two or three of your children’s friends.
- Ask educators for class rosters so you can arrange playdates with new classmates.
- Pick up the lists of school supplies, books, and technology your children will need.
- Catalog last year’s school supplies before going out to buy more.
- Include your children in back-to-school shopping by letting them pick out their items.
- Make a plan for organizing those supplies — and keeping them that way.
- Create a dedicated space for your children to store their school supplies and technology.
- Create a specific space like the family office as the official “homework area.”
- Eliminate distractions like TVs and video game consoles from homework areas.
- Label plastic tubs to organize all school supplies.
- Help your children develop a filing system for organizing their documents for each class.
- Set — and enforce — regular weekday and weekend bedtimes.
- Set — and enforce — regular weekday and weekend wake-up calls.
- Keep track of existing extracurricular activities to prevent over-scheduling.
- Have your children set realistic goals for the new year, such as reading 30 books.
- Help your children prioritize their activities by tying them to their year’s goals.
- Make a list of fun after-school activities and games to keep your children entertained.
- Get in touch with teachers early on to troubleshoot any issues your children may be having. Here are 20 questions you can ask.
- Create an after-school Plan that allows time for snacks, relaxation, play, and study.
- Establish regular bedtime routines for elementary school children and preschoolers.
- Carve out blocks of fun time for your children, whether it’s through sports or playdates.
- Employ a tutor, babysitter, or homework helper to help you navigate homework time.
- Perfect good behavior by doing your own work/projects while your children do homework.
- Encourage your children to lay out their school clothes the night before.
- Utilize this printable checklist to establish a regular morning routine.
- Have your children pack their school bags before they sleep that night.
- Have your children pack their gym bags the night before and leave them by the door.
- Pack their lunch boxes before bed if your children bring their own lunch.
- Establish rules for where they should put lunchboxes, etc., when they come home.
- Revamp your home organization setup to be more kid-friendly. For example, low hooks make it easy for younger children to hang up coats!
- Go through your children’s schoolwork monthly to toss the things you don’t want.
- Scan assignments that you want to keep.
- Make an inbox for children to leave things that need your attention, like permission slips.
- Designate a plastic tub as a put-away bin for anything out of place.
- Set a time each week to sync individual calendars with the family calendar.
- Inventory your children’s wardrobes and toss/donate things they’ve outgrown.
- Make a list and budget for back-to-school shopping.
- Allow your child to choose their clothes, shoes, and other items they’ll need.
- Search through their wardrobes every 2-3 months to eliminate things that no longer fit.
- Create a laundry system that makes it easy to sort and wash everyone’s clothes.
- Put together homework caddies that can be used to carry school supplies through the house.
- Purchase bulk packaged snacks like bags of grapes that can be easily added to lunches.
- Talk about the different pros and cons of bringing versus buying school lunches.
- Find copies of school menus in advance to discuss lunch choices.
- Find your children involved in creating and preparing their daily lunch menus.
- Buy reusable sports bottles to increase their water consumption during the day.
- Keep a small emergency allowance in your children’s bags, just in case.
- Manage lunch ingredients in one part of the fridge so you can make fast lunches.
- Buy lunch boxes or reusable bags to help save the environment.
- Prepare a week’s worth of sandwiches on Sunday, wrap them in tinfoil, and freeze. Unthaw them the night before.
- Utilize sticky notes to flag important items in children that they should pay attention to.
- Plan supervised study dates when children work together on projects or homework.
- Have a backup transportation mode planned in case your children miss the bus.
- Place your clocks up for 10 minutes. This makes it simpler to be on time.
- Plan blocks of time to check in with each child to see how things are going.
- Hire a housekeeper to help clean and know things off your to-do lists.
- Plan at least one 30-minute block in your calendar each day for “your time.”
- Make a rewards system for when they meet goals like helping around the house.
- Go shopping for school supplies and clothes early. Avoid the rush.
- Utilize positive phrasing.
- Ensure your children (and you!) have an effective wake-up alarm that works for them.
- Set the alarm or notification 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Get rid of things like mobile devices from children’s bedrooms to focus them on sleeping.
- Make Utilize of night lights, white sound machines, and fans for children who can’t get to sleep.
- Hold on to a single, easy-access file for vaccination records and other important papers.
- Stage the breakfast table before you go to bed.
- Plan a bathroom Plan to avoid family fights for bathroom time.
- Change old backpacks with ones that are sturdy, ergonomic, and kid-friendly.
- Keep an ongoing list of supplies, clothing, and food that must be bought each week.
- Make Utilize of a see-and-store toy rack to make it easier for children to stay organized.
- Group a hanging organizer with five boxes of clothes for each day of the week.
- Dedicate a garage, basement, or entryway rack for sports equipment.
- Create a pet care Plan that outlines who does what and when.
- Plan study blocks on the weekends before big tests, mid-terms, and finals.
- Utilize under-the-bed storage for off-season clothes and toys that aren’t regularly used.
- Give out everyone a shower caddy to keep bathroom supplies organized.
- Put together a playdate caddy with an extra set of clothes, games, and toys.
- Describe different ways you can be involved in the classroom this school year.
- Talk openly with your children about their feelings about returning to school. Do something fun to disperse this stressful time of year.
- Take a breath!
