Eliminate Chaotic Mornings: 1st Week of Back to School Tips
Getting back into the routine of early school mornings can be chaotic those first few weeks…
Whether your child is embarking on their first day of kindergarten or their senior year of high school, a new school year can be difficult. So, we gathered back to school tips for less hectic school mornings.
Experts at The Family Conservancy, experienced moms, & our staff of KC parents gave their best ideas to make school (& mornings) easier.
The lazy days of summer are fading away. Mornings will now be filled with school drop-off lines, finding lost shoes, and attempting to get out the door on time. Thankfully, it does not have to be as stressful as it could be.
Research studies also confirm students with parents involved in their education have better academic performance and are more likely to graduate from high school than students with less-involved parents.
So…be involved.
Best Back to School Tips: Organize Life
Explore the best Back to School ideas & tips, so mornings go a little smoother. Plus, remember their 1st day forever with back to school picture ideas.
Plan School Lunches (& Make Them Fun)
Plan out fun school lunches for the entire week (or 2) with these lunch ideas. Then, stock the fridge on 1 shopping trip. You can also order groceries online & have them delivered to your door with Amazon Fresh!
Eliminating unnecessary shopping trips will make your life a lot easier. You can also find school lunch ideas for kids! These will make lunchtime a little more fun the first week of school.
If buying lunch is an option, give them a chance to choose a “special day” to buy lunch.
Plan your Outfits the Night Before
…even for you, parents!
Even if you can’t lay out what to wear every morning, at least choose the first day of school outfit early. It seems so easy, but I think we forget how much easier this back to school trick makes early mornings.
Give your kiddos a to-do list in the morning!
Make a chart that will make it fun getting all their before-school tasks completed.
Getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast and gathering up their jacket, lunch and book bag! This is a great back to school idea to get your kids into a routine again.
Create a Dedicated Homework Space
Make a dedicated homework space so your child has a quiet area to do their school work each day. Giving them an area free from distractions allows them to focus more & get into a routine when in this space.
Another idea is to set them up in the kitchen next to you while you are reheating your freezer dinner or making lunches for school tomorrow…
Make Dinners Ahead of Time
Freeze dinner early or make it in the morning.
One of my favorite things to do to add ease to our evening is freeze dinners ahead of time! There are many great crockpot freezer meals you can make to eat OR freeze! Take time to make your families favorite meals or make extra portions in the days leading up to school. Cooking dinner will be one thing you can check off of your to-do list!
You can also make easy crockpot dinners in the morning if you aren’t able to freeze many meals at a time.
Listen to the Experts for Kids
If your kids are going through a change at school or worried about school for the first time, read advice from experts. Chances are, most kids have gone through something similar. Find info from groups like The Family Conservancy, who specializes in children & families.
The Family Conservancy gave us some back to school tips for kids to help them get into the swing of things easier. Check it out now!
Keep a Positive Attitude
Transitioning into a new school year can be a stressful time for parents and students. Take advantage of breakfast time and ask them about what they are looking forward to about their day. Also, check in at the end of the day and ask specific questions about school. This helps to see if you need to make any changes in their routine.
As parents, it’s important to help your child maintain a positive outlook on school. Keep conversations about school positive. When they turn negative, redirect the conversation by celebrating your child’s accomplishments or sharing positive experiences form your time in school.
Ask open-ended questions like “What are you most excited about?” or “Is there anything that worries you?”. Instead of the “yes” and “no” responses you may be accustomed to, open-ended questions provide you the opportunity to get the information to have a meaningful conversation. This can also help address issue and concerns your children may be having.
You can also make the first day of school positive by making it fun. Take first day of school pictures, so the first day feels like a special day to celebrate!
Communication Is Key
If you don’t know what’s going on in the classroom, how can you provide the support your child needs to succeed?
That’s why opening and maintaining a line of communication with your child’s teachers is critical to their success.
Have back to school chats with your kids at least a few times a week. Early on in the school year, find an opportunity to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher. Let them know they can contact you. Ask your child’s teacher to receive updates on your child’s progress throughout the school year.
Even if you get nothing but positive feedback, your child’s teacher sees a side of your child you may not. Use this relationship to learn more about your child.
Create Back to School Routines
This is probably one of our best back to school tips. In addition to making your life easier, routines help children learn important skills.
Routines are especially important during the preschool years when the brain is developing rapidly. School routines show children how to organize and manage daily life. As children get older and we being gradually turning over the responsibility for self-management, we ensure that our children learn how to manage themselves.
You may have relaxed your family’s routines during the summer months, but with the new school year at hand, it’s important to reestablish them. No doubt, there’s a lot more to your morning than simply getting kids to school before the bell rings.
By establishing routines, you can simplify your day and put things on autopilot. Develop a plan with your child for addressing homework and assignments. Make sure they keep you notified and make your expectations for completing homework clear.
These back to school tips don’t address every aspect of you your child’s education. However, by staying positive, keeping an open line of communication with your child’s school, and maintaining routines and expectations you’ll be well on your way to creating a support system that will help your child succeed. This will help them be successful in school, throughout the year.
Celebrate the First Day of School:
Take 1st Day of School Pictures
Make sure to snap the first day of school pictures, so you have the memories forever!
You can look back on the photos to see how your kiddos have grown over the years. They really do make great memories AND get the kids a little more excited about school.
Make a Fun Breakfast for the First Day
One of our favorite back to school ideas is to make their favorite breakfast or try a new breakfast idea.
Kids love a good surprise…so why not first thing in the morning?
Celebrate with a Kids’ Activity in KC
There are tons of fun things to do around Kansas City. Take the kids out to celebrate their First Week of School with a family activity. You can purchase a POGO Pass and receive 26 kids activities for less than $50! Purchase a POGO Pass for ONLY $49.99 with code ifamilykc. This is a steal.
If you are looking for ways to stay involved in your child’s education throughout the year, even in summer, check out these tips to avoid Summer learning loss. You can also find fun school lunch ideas too!
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From our family to yours, iFamilyKC.
*Many tips brought to you by The Family Conservancy; Helping Children & Strengthening Families since 1880.
