Posted on September 06, 2011 by Kathryn

It’s that time of the year, again. The first day of school is just around the corner! Where did the summer go? Do you have the list of back to school supplies bought? Are your kids groaning on the outside? Just realize they are most likely excited (and a little bit nervous) on the inside with the thought of going back. Now you need to get everyone back into the school year routine. How do you accomplish that? Where do you start? Here are some ideas that have worked well for our family for you to test out. After you read this let us know how they work for you and you can add your ideas as well.

A couple of weeks before school starts, or as soon as possible, get the whole family together and create a plan. Create a list of the family’s daily and weekly activities. List things like homework, after school sports and lessons. Now, create a calendar from your list. Make sure the kids are involved with the scheduling, the more input the kids have in their schedule, the more interest they will have to see it successful. Balance the schedule out so so you include time for family fun as well as homework and sports etc. Once the schedule is set, be vigilant for a few weeks to set routine and work out the bugs. Ask each child to pick one or two extra curricular activities to enjoy outside of school. Schedule these activities in to the calendar, keeping homework a priority. REMEMBER…any “must see” TV shows can now be recorded and watched later in the evening, week or weekend. (What did we do before TiVo?)

Make homework a priority. Decide with your kids where and what time they will complete their homework. The “homework” area could be the kitchen or dinning room table, the kid’s room or the family den. Set up the “homework” area with supplies like paper, pencils, crayons etc. Having supplies on hand will ensure homework will be completed successfully.

Getting organized for the school day can happen the night before. Thirty minutes before bedtime, get kids “organized” for the next day. Gather homework, supplies, books and backpacks, even after school activity stuff. Making lunches and gathering the kid’s “stuff” will alleviate any chaos and rushing the next morning. Everyone will be more relaxed and ready to face the day ahead.

Post an affirmation on the fridge for the whole family to read as they are getting breakfast, help the little ones read it as well. Affirmations help to develop a positive mindset: such as, “Learning is fun and exciting”. Here is a great site for affirmations for kids, Abundance Tapestry . Affirmations are a great tool to start the day off with a bang!

Ask your kids what they would like to have in their lunches. Kids can get bored with their lunches; by giving your kids choices on what goes into their lunch, you will help prevent boredom. Research the Internet for lunch ideas. Creative lunches will make your kids the envy of the class!

Talk to your child about what makes going to school so great! Meeting new friends, catching up with the friends they haven’t seen all summer. Mention all the new stuff, like cloths, backpack and pencils etc. If this is the first time going to school (kindergarten) talk to your child about the fun activities like arts and crafts, playing on the play ground or reading new books.

If at all possible, take some time off of work during the first week of school especially if your child is starting kindergarten or has just started a new school. Go to school with your child on the first day. Remind your children of the routine you all set and have practiced for the last week. And when you are on your own during the day, take some time for yourself. A relaxed Mom and Dad will help the kids to relax.

Be excited about the first day of school for your child and your excitement will be contagious. Note: You know your kids best of all so if they seem overly anxiety around going to school or their anxiety continues for too long, talk to your child and then talk with their teachers. There may be an underlying cause of your child’s anxiety around going to school and you want to figure out what it is a ASAP!

Remember to share your tips for going back to school.

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