School will be starting soon. It’s always a bittersweet time. Time to start something new, but a loss of time you spent together as a family over the summer. You and your kids might have some stress concerning returning to school this year. Here are a few ways to ease that stress.
- Before school starts, reconnect with a classmate your child hasn’t seen in awhile. Maybe have a playdate at a playground. If your child hasn’t been around school friends in a while, this will make her more comfortable on the first day.
- Plan your clothing for the first day of school. Nothing is worse than running around on that first day, trying to get to school and work on time, and not being able to find or agree on what to wear. Maybe even plan for the whole first week.
- Talk about your summer at the dinner table, remembering all the fun things you did. Your child might be asked to recount or write about his summer, so if you have been talking about it, it will be top of mind and easy to remember.
- About a week before school starts, get back into the routine you will use during the year, getting to bed on time, getting up earlier, regular mealtimes.
- Stock up on the items you need for lunches and after school snacks. You can find a million ideas for school lunches on-line. Here is one that sounded good to me.
- Offer plenty of hugs. These last 2 school years have been hard for parents and kids alike. If your child is worried about going back for health reasons, listen to her fears. Then help her prepare to keep herself safe. Maybe buy a new, fun mask for the first day. And reassure her that you wouldn’t be sending her to school if it wasn’t safe.
Hope these helped! Enjoy the last little bit of summer. Savor every carefree moment with your kids!
