First Day of School!
This month it is important to work with your budding student to get them ready for the big day.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
How exciting.
Every child is different, so you need to focus on what is best for your child.
Will they adapt well to getting up early, getting dressed, and being out the door?
A new morning routine should start a few weeks before the beginning of school so that it will be one less new thing to conquer.
Do they know where they are going?
Visiting the school and classroom, if possible, before the first official day will help ease the nerves of most little ones.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to meet the teachers, walk the halls, and check out the playground and the cafeteria.
Discuss their new schedule with them.
Will they go to a before or after-school program?
Where will they be picked up and dropped off?
By whom?
First day of school - A new morning routine should start a few weeks before the beginning of school so that it will be one less new thing to conquer. Click To TweetHow will your family’s evening schedule change?
Do you need to set aside time for homework?
Will bedtime change?
This takes work from all involved.
You will have the most success if you have a plan and begin implementing it before the big day.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Great tips!
When my kids were going to a new school, the school did a school tour for the students. It was beneficial for middle school students. But, in high school, the kids received a school map to help them determine where they would need to go to get to their next class. We mapped out the routine for them and helped them feel better about their new experience.
Great idea for the map for the older students. I’m sure they wouldn’t want Mom or Dad walking around the High School with them! 🙂
I agree. Getting your child ready to start school by altering routines a few weeks in advance is very helpful. When I taught Kindergarten the parents had a meet and greet party at someone’s home so the new students could meet returning students before school started. We also scheduled a day for the new students could come in and meet us (the teachers), find their cubby, and get settled before the real first day of school. These 2 things really helped the students adjust. Your suggestions are fabulous tips for adjusting at home.
Thank you, Diane!
The elementary school is right around the corner from our house. It’s been quiet over the summer. But in the last month, I’ve noticed work they are doing on the school to get things ready. They are trimming and updating the landscaping. And they’ve been installing solar panels on the roof. So even the physical grounds and building needs prep.
That is also true for kids and parents. They need the physical and emotional prep as they wind down from summer and move into the school year. I love all of the questions and considerations you mentioned. Addressing these will help ease the family into their new routines. Transition times can be anxiety-producing. So having some time to slowly practice and adjust can be immensely helpful.
Thank you, Linda. I agree transition time is important.
I love the idea of visiting the classroom, especially if the student is new to school. Even as an adult, I get nervous when I don’t know what the setting will be. At natural transition points (e.g. heading to middle school), all students may go as a group to see the new location. But if your child will be the only “new” one, it’s a great idea to try and get them in for a glance before the pressure is on. Help them find the bathrooms, lockers, etc. Terrific tips1
Thank you Seana
Not having kids, this kind of thing requires me to think back (up to half a century) and I marvel at how natural this kind of thing came to my mom. She built little bits of back-to-school planning into my routine starting in August, first with clothes shopping and discussing what kind of activities I’d be doing, then taking me to visit my school and going on practice runs. (Bedtime was a hopeless case, of course.) More power to the moms and dads dealing with so many more modern complexities such as you’ve laid out.
Yes. I remember shopping and changing routines with my kids. It’s just one more thing, but done well it can add to the excitement of starting a new school year.