8 Tips to Transition from Summer to School

The beginning of a new school year can be very exciting and very overwhelming for everyone. It’s a lot for kids, parents, and teachers to trade long summer evenings, camping, and cookouts for routines, early bedtimes, and homework. It can take a minute to find your rhythm, but here are a few tips that might help to smooth out the transition.

1. Adopt a routine early. Don’t wait until the day before school starts to institute an earlier bedtime or morning alarm. Give your family a week or two to transition into earlier nights and mornings. Establish a routine of evening bathing and laying out your child’s clothing a couple of weeks in advance.
2. Think positively. If your child is experiencing back-to-school anxiety, (new schoo, or kindergarten anxiety), talk about how much fun they’ll have reconnecting with school friends they may not have seen for a couple of months, or how much they enjoyed gym last year, or how big and brave they've gotten. Having something positive to look forward to can help brighten their perspective. If your child is beginning kindergarten, walk them verbally through a typical day and the types of things they can expect to happen.
3. Clear the schedule. Simplify your evenings and weekend commitments during the first couple of weeks of school. The added breathing room and time to wind down each day will do your family good.
4. Get organized. Consider buying plastic tubs, drawer systems, binders or labels to help keep school papers organized. This will keep your spaces and mind from getting too cluttered.
5. Keep dinner easy. Consider grilling out, preparing simple crock pot meals, or getting take out during the first week of school. This will ease evening pressure and allow your family plenty of time to decompress from the new daily schedule.
6. Make space for homework. Developing a good homework routine can help lessen feet-dragging. Establish a consistent work space and communicate clear boundaries about when technology or TV needs to be switched off.
7. Avoid morning madness. Starting each morning on the right foot can help set the tone for your child’s day. Consider staying up an extra 10 minutes to set the breakfast table, go through your child’s backpack, or pack a lunch to eliminate added pressure for the morning.
8. Give some grace. Stress on one member of the family impacts the whole family, so remember to take a deep breath, understand the circumstances, and try to find a way to laugh together. Slowing down with intention and unpacking the day together can help put everyone more at ease.