It is back-to-school time once again, which means we, as parents, face more changes to the routine. Not only can they be stressful for you, but also for the kids, especially when there is no real desire to return to school. However, a gradual approach to a new routine can help make the transition from holidays to school feel more natural. In this post, we will explore a few ways to do just that and take the stress out of back-to-school.
Getting the family back into a rhythm can be difficult. Moving from late nights and lazy mornings back to school mornings can feel like a huge change. But small, familiar routines can make the changes more manageable. The first thing to remember is not to change the school routines that have worked completely. This is more about the things you can implement that make the transition as pain-free as possible.
Here are three small yet simple ideas to transition smoothly back to school:
1. Re-establish the bedtime routine
The likelihood is that, over the summer, there was no bedtime routine, especially with the longer nights. So, the first and most natural thing to start with is slowly easing them back into a bedtime routine. Take each evening, a day at a time, slowly making bedtime earlier and earlier until it’s the ideal bedtime for school wake-ups.
Don’t turn it into a huge performance; just make subtle, small changes in the lead-up to bedtime.
2. Make mornings feel less rushed
Another huge transition is going from lazy mornings to the full panicked school run. So, to make sure the first couple of weeks of early wake-ups don’t feel as heavy, get as much prepared the night before. Lay out the uniforms, pre pack the school bags and get the lunchboxes set up.
This should allow for a bit more breathing space between tasks.
3. Calm periods before bed
This is as much a help before kids go back to school as after. Kids can have a lot of energy especially after school. They can also be overstimulated and highly emotional after a day of learning so, its good to establish period of time at the end of day for calm. This allows the brain to get ready to reset for a peaceful sleep and be refreshed for the morning. Change out screens for analog based activity an hour or so before bedtime.
You will not only bring a sense of calm, but you will also see a change in their mood.
Back to school doesn’t need to be stressful. Some simple changes can make a huge difference in getting you and the kids ready for the transition. Do whatever you can to make things feel less rushed and do you what you can to make the evenings calm and relaxed, ready to take on the next day.
