7 Tips to Create a Successful Back-to-School Routine

Ahh, summer! Vacations, beach days, hanging out with friends at the pool, late nights, and sleeping in. Then, before you know it, it’s time to go back to school, which means early starts, new daily routines, homework, and after-school activities.

It’s hard to shift from relaxed summer days to scheduled school days, but establishing your family’s routines can help everyone successfully tackle the school year’s start. So, how do you make sure that you are creating the right ones?

Here are some tips from Adaptively to help you and your student get reacquainted with a back-to-school routine and ensure a smooth transition into the new school year.

  1. Let your child help create the routine. When coming up with a game plan for a back-to-school routine, get your child’s input. Let them voice what is important to them and their expectations for themselves so that the new routine can have their input as well as yours. Keep in mind, children of different ages will have different needs. Younger kids, for example, may need more time for a snack and outside play time after school before completing their homework, where older students may need your guidance to balance their extracurriculars and studies. By gaining their input and acknowledging their needs, your child will feel more involved rather than being directed what to do and when to do it.
  2. Start making some preparations 1-2 weeks before school begins. Begin to taper off late nights, and wake your child up a bit earlier each day so that they will be prepared when they have to start getting up for school. Have them get in the habit of getting dressed after breakfast and brushing their teeth and hair. This way, you can establish some morning time frames without the family feeling rushed.
  3. Consider not permitting electronics before school. Games and devices can distract children from completing their morning routines. Less rushing around creates for more relaxed mornings. Conversely, distractions can lead to frustration for you and your child and result in everyone running behind. If there is extra time before school, instead of turning on the T.V. or permitting a device, spend connected one-on-one time together before both of you go about your busy days.
  4. Keep a consistent sleep schedule. According to Kids Health, school-age kids need 9–12 hours of sleep a night. If your child is not getting enough sleep, then they can demonstrate crankiness, moodiness, hyperactivity, or other behavior struggles. They may even have trouble learning and paying attention in school. A rested mind, however, helps children’s mood regulation and keeps them primed to learn.
  5. Prep food, clothing, and backpacks the night before. Having something planned for breakfast and prepping lunch the night before will free up time for unexpected delays. Have your child lay out the clothes they plan to wear the next day in order to keep early mornings free of decisions or looking for specific clothing items. Make sure their backpack is ready to go with materials, homework, and any changes of clothes for P.E. or after-school activities. A little planning will ensure that nothing gets forgotten and that your child can flow through their day with ease.
  6. Keep your schedule visible. Displaying your daily schedule somewhere your child can easily see it will help them to stay on track. Try to have a clock nearby as well so that they can correlate the task they are working on with the time it should be getting done.
  7. Stay Positive! Remember, the more positive you are about the new routine, the more positive your child will be! Make sure to remind them that they came up with a great schedule and of how well they are doing following their schedule!

Using these tips will help you and your child establish a realistic routine to jump back into the school year! Adaptively is here to help make the back-to-school transition less stressful for you and your child with enrichment programs for math and English to keep your child on-track from the start. Contact us today to learn more.