Back-to-school season is well underway. For many parents like you, that means back to busy schedules, long days, jam-packed to-do lists, and more. To help you avoid that as much as possible, here are a few back-to-school tips that’ll help you ease into fall like a boss.
1) Get individual planners and create a family calendar
Let your child choose their own planner or scheduling tool. They’ll be excited the choice is theirs, which will help them take ownership of their own schedule. Once everyone in the family has their own system, create a family calendar that helps track activities and events. Oh, and make sure to place the family calendar in a common area of the house, where everyone can easily see it: the kitchen, living room, next to the front door, etc.
2) Create a mobile school supply holder
This one will help you (and your child) prevent a mess, especially when working on posters and projects. You can either buy a school supply caddy or make a creative DIY version yourself, filled with pencils, pens, highlighters, markers, crayons, scissors, and anything else they might need. That way, your child can easily take everything with them anywhere in the house or (even better) to a friend’s place. A mobile school supply cabinet like this acts as a home for school supplies, which makes it easier for your child to put things back where they belong.
3) Establish a designated spot for high-priority documents
Worksheets, homework, and flyers can easily turn into an unseen mountain of papers, especially at the beginning of the school year. A physical “inbox” will help you prioritize important documents you need to sign or see by a specific deadline—we’re talking about things like permission slips, tests, completion charts, handouts, etc.
4) Help your child develop habits of success
Right now is the best time to teach your child the importance of developing good habits that will help them succeed throughout life. Show them the benefits of goal-setting, planning ahead, being accountable, and more. Here are some things you can try:
- Put aside some time with your child every day or week to create a to-do list with the most important tasks to complete. Be sure to set deadlines for each task to ensure it gets done in an appropriate amount of time.
- Set an alarm that alerts your child when they should start working on homework after getting home from school. You can even set alarms to remind them to take a break, too.
- Also set an alarm that reminds your child to get ready for bed (if they have an iPhone, it can easily be done through the Bedtime App). Prioritizing sleep is important to their overall success. Research shows that children who don’t get enough sleep find it difficult to concentrate or understand concepts.
Here are more tips on building Habits of Success.
5) Make time to reflect
This is probably one of the most important tips of them all. You’ve already worked with your child to set goals and create an action plan to reach them. Now, help them figure out which goals are high- and low-priority items. Try talking to them about any challenges they faced during the week and brainstorm solutions, together. And here’s a pro tip: Ask your child thought-provoking questions as opposed to telling them what to do. This will help your child understand the “why” behind their actions. It also helps them find solutions on their own.
Getting back into the school routine is tough for both students and parents. We hope these tips will help make it easier on both of you.
One of the best ways to support your child is to get involved. Here are some ways to support your child’s success at school.