Maybe your children have already returned to school (virtually, homeschool, or a traditional school) or maybe they will be returning soon. On the other hand, some schools don’t return until after Labor Day!
Regardless of when your child returns, today is established as National Back to School Prep Day…and it’s a perfect time to recalibrate with your routines and rhythms for the academic year that is ahead of us or that has recently started. It’s not too early (or too late) to get your family organized and prepared for their academic year!
Minimizing Overwhelming Feelings and Maximizing Preparations
Today (or this general time of year) captures the exciting emotions and activities that come along with the beginning of a new school year. With summer memories fresh in your mind, you have to admit that there is also some sense of excitement, order, and a return to familiarity that comes along with a new school year beginning.
To minimize the chaos and overwhelming feelings but to maximize the organization and feelings of preparedness, take the time to read this blogpost and follow up in your own household with preparations! We promise that you and your entire family will reap the benefits of starting out the school year strong.
Preparing for the School Year- Physical Actions
- Get school supplies ready. Whether your child needs supplies that are designated on a school supply list or whether you know what supplies will be needed in your homeschooling space, find or make a list and begin to collect those supplies. After all, no one enjoys running out to the store at the very last minute!
- Create your child’s at-home learning center. If your child is being homeschooled or learning virtually, how do you plan to set up this space? What supplies or decorations should be included? Even if your child goes to traditional school, you might find it beneficial to set up a learning space for homework or supplemental learning. While not everyone has a lot of extra room in their living space, get creative in how you maximize the space that you do have to eliminate distractions and allow for a positive learning environment.
- As you are starting out the year with a fresh start, now is a perfect time to clear out some previous academic supplies or materials that have piled up and taken up space. Purge, sell, donate, throw away…do what you need to do to make your physical space match the mental perspective you want for this year!
Preparing for the School Year- Mentally
- Have a discussion with your family to set goals together. What do you want to accomplish academically and as a family by the end of the school year? What about halfway through the school year or by the end of each quarter? Are there certain school subjects or skills (such as reading) that you want to hold yourself accountable for?
- What else do you hope to accomplish this school year that will benefit your child’s education? Maybe consider meal prepping, making grocery lists ahead of time, planning car pools or workouts, etc.
- To ease your child’s potential fears about the new school year, have discussions about their emotions about school starting. You can guide those discussions to be focused on new teachers, new friends, new classes, or maybe even a new school. There are plenty of books that can be read and enjoyed to also put kids’ minds at ease about all of the upcoming new things with regards to their daily school lives.
Preparing for the School Year- Routine
- Just as it’s difficult for you to shift back to your school year timeline and daily routines, it’s an adjustment for your child as well! Try to ease that transition by planning out a routine, discussing the routine, and practicing or easing into that routine beforehand, if possible. Do you need to adjust sleep patterns and morning or evening activities?
- Decide what calendar format you plan on using. What holidays/days off, special days, or important events can you add to the calendar already? Are there any appointments you can schedule already? Keep in mind that you may soon be adding in Open House, Back to School Night, or other beginning of year events.
We hope you use these guiding points as a starting place for getting yourself excited about and confident in the new school year starting. If you find yourself having questions, feeling overwhelmed, or needing further resources, do not hesitate to reach out to our academic advisors at Dailies. That’s what we’re here for- to support ALL things education!
