Ace Your Kid’s Back to School Routine with These 10 Pro-Parenting Techniques
After a long, leisurely summer, it can be hard to get back into your family’s school year routine. Whether your child is counting down the remaining days of summer or dreading their return, one thing is universal: the more abrupt the transition, the harder it becomes.
Don’t wait until the night before to start prepping your family for the upcoming school year. Make the transition into your school routines seamless – and even fun – with these pro-parenting techniques.
Why Worry About Routine?
Routines are comforting. When children have structure in their lives, they know what to expect each day. When big transitions happen – whether that’s a move, a trip, or heading back to school – routines offer predictability and normalcy amid the chaos. By easing your children into things with these back-to-school routine tips, the first day of school will feel a lot less intense.
Back to School Morning Routine
Start waking them up earlier.
Soon, your children won’t be able to just roll out of bed whenever their bodies decide. Help them prepare for earlier mornings, both physically and mentally, by waking them up slightly earlier each day. If they’re currently getting up at 9:30, wake them up at 9:00. Then 8:30. Then 8:00. Before long, getting up at 7:00 won’t be such a stretch!
Have them “get ready” for each day.
Superman pajamas aren’t exactly school-appropriate, so it’s time to get your kids used to getting dressed in the morning again! Instead of letting them lounge around in their PJs, ask your kiddos to put on “real” clothes in the morning.
After breakfast, have them brush their teeth. Even if your little ones have nothing to do for the day, it’s helpful to remind them what it’s like to get dressed and ready to go. It might be helpful to create a back-to-school routine checklist where they can see, step by step, what they need to accomplish each morning.
Prioritize eating a good breakfast.
Over the summer, your children may have gotten used to eating a late breakfast or skipping the meal altogether. Get your entire family back into the school year groove by serving breakfast right after getting dressed. As a family, collaborate on a “menu” of easy, nutritious meals that can be prepped in advance. This is great practice for getting out of the door on time.
After School Routine
Plan and prep some yummy after-school snacks together.
What is it about coming home from school that makes children absolutely ravenous? Give them something to look forward to after their first day of school by planning and prepping some delicious after-school snacks together. Having a fridge stocked with grab-and-go snacks make for an easier school week (and less hangry children!).
Set up their homework/study station.
It’s hard to be organized in a disorganized space. Set your child up for success by tidying up their space prior to their first school days. It’s helpful to create a designated spot for homework and studying, whether that’s a desk in their room or a quiet spot in the dining room. Stock it up with everything they might need, whether that’s mechanical pencils and workbooks or protractors and graphing calculators.
Back to School Night Routine
Set a reasonable bedtime so they get enough sleep.
It might cause a few fights at first, but setting a bedtime is essential. Luckily, if you’re waking your children up earlier, they’ll likely be ready to go to bed earlier, too! You don’t have to switch from 10 pm to 8 pm right off the bat – just make sure you’re gradually inching up bedtime to get it more in line with their school schedule. Keep in mind that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children 6 to 12 years old get 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night!
Start laying out clothes and packing the backpack the night before.
Have your children start picking out their outfits before they go to bed each night. The night before the first day of school, have them pack their backpacks as well. By selecting clothing and ensuring they have what they need, your mornings will go much smoother.
Don’t forget to make it FUN whenever possible!
Prioritize family time.
Soon, busy schedules will make it harder to spend time doing fun activities as a family. Plan a few end-of-summer outings to savor those last school-free days! Family paint events at Painting with a Twist are a great way to get out of the house and try something new together. Your children can learn some new skills and express their creativity – and, best of all, you don’t have to worry about the dreaded post-craft clean-up! Trade in the screen time for some easel time, and your family will make some summer memories to last through the school year and beyond.
Create gifts for their new teachers.
Get your child excited to meet their new teacher (and ensure they make a great first impression!) with a back-to-school teacher gift. Attend a family paint night or grab a Twist at Home kit, and your child can create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece – perfect for displaying in their brand-new classroom. Not willing to part with their creation? Check out these other gift ideas!
Offer praise and encouragement.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your children won’t adjust in a day, either. Acknowledge the progress they do make, even if it’s just brushing their teeth without prompting or getting ready for bed without complaints. Surprise them with a loving note in their backpack or lunchbox on their first day. A new school year is a fresh start, and you can help them see the positives with a little encouragement.
Make Back-to-School Fun at Painting with a Twist!
Get your children excited for the school year ahead! Whether you’d like to have your kiddo gift their new teacher with their very own DIY artwork, spend a little family time before schedules get busy, or get their creative juices flowing before the start of the new academic year, Painting with a Twist’s Family Events offer a great way to do each of these things. Find an event near you today!