Adjusting back to school after a long summer holiday can be difficult for both kids and parents alike.

 

To help you and your family adjust, we've gathered some tips that you can implement not just at the beginning of the school year but throughout.

 

 

 

Mornings almost always feel inevitably stressful. Not only are you half-asleep and groggy trying to wake yourself up with a cup of joe in one hand and your phone in the other catching up on work emails, but you also have to get your closer-to-sloth kids up and ready for school. There is hope! Have your kids pack their school bags and lay out their clothes for the next day the night before. Prep meals and snacks on Sunday afternoons as a family. Meal prepping together as a family also helps your kids get familiar with and take control of their health. If they took part in the process of making it, they are more likely to eat it!

 

 

 

Create a family calendar that tracks everyone's activities and commitments in the new school year. Write in after-school activities, important tests, school functions and events, work functions, etc. Putting it all in one place will better help you keep track and avoid double-booking. Keep it in a place where the kids also have access to it so that they can start taking responsibility for their own schedules.

 

 

Create or refresh your family's rules on screen time for the school year. What's allowed and when? How is it different on weekdays and weekends?

 

 

 

Create a dedicated space for your kids to store their school supplies and do homework. Distractions like screens should be removed from this area.

 

 

 

This includes bedtimes, wake-up times, screen time, study times, outdoor play times, etc.

 

 

 

With school and extracurricular activities back in full-swing, naturally, it becomes more difficult to sync everyone's schedules together. Establish "Family Time" together, whether it's before bed or a meal each day.

 

 

 

Schedule time for just you or you and your partner at least once a week. We all know that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. As much as wishful thinking would say otherwise, let's face it: personal time doesn't happen unless you plan it. Even giving yourself 30 minutes a week just to space out, watch your favorite tv show, read a book, take a bath, or go for a run can go a long ways in keeping your sanity. Schedule a date night at least once a month with your partner by booking a nanny or an occasional babysitter.

 

 

 

Hire an after-school babysitter to make sure your kids are well taken care of from bus pick-up to dinner while you're at work. A new school year means new and progressively difficult school work for your kids. Maybe your kids spent all summer reviewing last year's material... But it's more likely that they had a kickass summer and are experiencing a little bit of that summer brain drain. Lessen the potential stress and anxiety on your child of getting back to doing school work by making sure they know that someone is there to help if they ever need it. This also means that when you come home exhausted from work, you and your child can enjoy quality time together over a meal or reading together before bed rather than nagging at each other to get that homework done!

 

 

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