School has been underway for two weeks and most families have adjusted to a more regimented schedule, after school activities and homework. If your family is still struggling to adjust to the new school year, these tips can help ease the transition.
The best way to manage a new school year is to establish consistent daily routines. Try to plan time for homework, dinner and relaxation around the same time every evening. This includes bath and bedtime. To make the morning routine run smoother, have children choose their clothing for the next day the night before. You can even have them choose what they want for breakfast and pack lunch before they go to bed. Keep their backpacks and shoes near the door you use each morning as well.
If your child is attending a new school, plan playdates with their new friends outside of the classroom. This gives them an opportunity to get to know each other in a less formal setting. If your child is in the same school, they were last year, ask them if there is a new classmate and suggest a playdate with them as well.
This is also the time when after school activities and weekend sporting events begin. As much as possible, keep your routine the same even if practice or games seem to uproot your plans. If you know your child will be in sports, band, chorus or theater, begin the school year eating dinner after practice would be over, even if there is no practice. Consider making game or performance night a carryout night to avoid trying to cook dinner and get your child to the game on time.
Sit down to dinner as a family as much as possible and try to encourage open discussion at the table. Simple questions like “tell me something you didn’t know yesterday,” “what you did that was creative,” “what made you smile today,” or other open ended positive questions can help your child open up and share with you.
If homework is a battle, establish a homework routine. For instance, the child comes home, completes homework and then can go play. Establish an area where the child can do homework without distractions. If the child does not understand the work, sit down and work through it with them, but do not do the work for them. Break up long assignments with play, relaxation techniques or time away from the work.
These simple tips can help you and your children get through those first busy weeks of school with less stress and anxiety.
