10 Back-to-School Tips

5 fun tips for getting ready for a new school year together

1. Check together which school supplies are missing. Make an orderly list and combine shopping with a yummy break at a cafe.
2. Give the bedroom a proper refresh. What can be donated or thrown away? Rearrange the furniture? Update the walls with a new color, wall sticker, or poster?
3. Do you have enough shirts with the school logo (if required)? Choose together the desired colors and get them printed. Designate a special space just for school shirts.
4. Is there someone new to the class? Set up a playdate with an old friend together with the newcomer.
5. Create a plan together to get sleeping routines back on schedule…starting (if you can) 10 days before school starts.

5 tips for coping with back-to-school transitions

1. Talk eye-to-eye about the new school. Where it’s located. How you will get there. How many hours each day. What’s special about it…
2. Help them express their feelings about the transition. Draw pictures or build structures (with Lego, for example) together.
3. Take a casual walk together to the new school. Show them the way. Take a peek inside or at the grounds.
4. Review new details together such as the names of the teachers and which friends will also be there.
5. Share your own experiences. Tell them about some of the transitions you experienced at their age such as a new school or new neighborhood, or even a new job as an adult.