With the back to school rush, there comes a lot of stress and often a scheduling overload. You can take a breath and try to relax or follow a few suggestions to make your transition from summer glory days to school routine a little bit easier. If your tot is starting his first year in preschool, these tips for going back to school will help you even more.
Get Smart Organizing
New schedules may get overwhelming if there is no big picture for what everyone is doing at any point during the week. There are a few alternatives to make your family’s organization better. Digital calendars are exceptionally useful, since, as a mom, you have to always be on the go. If you can, use a digital calendar on your phone or other pda and then sync it with your computer, so all the information is up to date. The obvious advantages of the digital system are quick updates, easy repeats of recurring events, always having the calendar with you, and your family being able to check on it or make changes online.
Though I maintain a digital calendar, I like to keep a paper trail. What’s better than a multi-person or big grid calendar? You can get the whole family on one page each month, so you can track all activities and events at a glance. The big advantages of such a calendar are easy planning for the entire family, planning ahead and ability to re-evaluate plans, giving you much needed flexibility.
Whichever calendar you choose, the point is to enter the information early on and update it religiously. Having the handle on your schedule will make you feel in control and less stressed about the daily routine.
Shop Ahead
This one probably goes along with planning. One of my fellow moms suggested last year I buy snowpants for my kids in August. Baffled by the idea, I comfortably waited until November when, of course, the stores were sold out of this precious item. Lesson learned – get your shopping done before the season hits. The same applies to back to school shopping. Get your school supplies, backpacks, fall AND winter clothing before September. This will guarantee you have the items you want (vs. the left-overs) and take advantage of the plentiful back to school sales that happen at the end of summer. Check out our School Supplies shop for supplies and find the web’s free shipping offers (freeshipping.org is one great example).
Get To Know your Teachers & Fellow Parents
The school year will go more smoothly if you are familiar with the school, the teachers and recognize at least a few familiar parent faces. Many parents organize a breakfast or a gift for the teachers, but many teachers we asked actually said they would prefer some help in the classroom – school supplies, crafting tools, etc. Ask your teachers how you could help – which often is volunteering your time, not necessarily supplies – and you will be happy to make a new ally your child so desperately needs. If your preschool parents tend to disappear as soon as the kids are dropped off, take on a challenge of getting everyone together for coffee. It’s quick, casual and can be done at everyone’s convenience. With today’s busy schedules, don’t expect every parent to show up, but having a few people to talk about the school and the kids’ adjustment is priceless.
Set your Expectations
What are the kids expected to know by the time they start kindergarten? Knowing the basic speech & language, math, attention and social skill expectations will help you guide your child to his success. Talk to your teachers to understand what the child’s strengths and weaknesses are and help him continue practicing these skills at home. At the preschool age, all teachers agree that social skills are the biggest priority. While some help is nice, don’t over-schedule your kids with extracurricular activities. Play time gets shorter and shorter with age, so don’t forget to let your kids be kids and get enough play time.
Label Everything
If this is your child’s first year at a preschool, you will quickly discover how important it is to have a good labeling system and label everything. I suggest you invest in labels that are machine washable and dishwasher safe. Labels will be necessary on all the clothing, backpacks, lunch bags, shoes, hats, gloves, water bottles and all the other belongings. Stick to neutral designs and you can keep the labels through future school and camp years. Companies that offer labels include Mabel’s Labels, Name Bubbles, Stuck on You, Label Your Stuff, and many others. If you are in a rush, get a clothing marker from your dry cleaner and write the name on the clothing. Note though, the marker is not the best solution if you want to pass the clothes to yours or someone else’s kids once your tot outgrows them.
Get On the New Schedule
Shifting from sleeping in or late camp days to an 8.30 (or earlier) school day is a huge adjustment. Make it easier by gradually helping your child get up earlier each day. Factor in the time needed to get dressed, eat breakfast and travel to school. Most likely there will be days when you are running late, so alleviate the stress by getting up earlier and getting the day going on time. It will cut down on stress for your child who won’t have to feel rushed. A fun way to learn the new time to be up in the morning is with a fun alarm clock. Land of Nod has a few extremely cute selections, but you can find them anywhere these days. Getting on the new early schedule also means going to bed early enough to get enough shut-eye for your kids and for you.
Make Big Changes Prior
A new school may be intimidating to your child, so many experts advise avoiding other big changes around this time if you can. Time to move to the big bed? Wait until school is in session for a few weeks. Time to get serious about potty training? Don’t start it the week your child starts school but do include your teachers in the process – they will be very helpful! Time to move to a new house? This is a big change, so time it right and early enough before school starts. Save the big changes for later, because school is a big new stage in your little one’s life.
