It’s hard to believe that school is starting already. In many places, the kids are already back in the classroom, and more will follow throughout August. After summer, returning to a routine is good for our kids, even if they don’t see why. Here is some information to help you get back on track for the school year. 

Get Back to a Normal Bedtime Routine

You may have kept up with a regular bedtime routine during the summer, but now is the time to readjust if you didn’t. Establish a nightly bedtime. At least 30 minutes before bedtime, restrict access to screens. For younger children, consider reading a bedtime story. Encourage older children to read a chapter or two of a book before lights out. 

Help Them Organize Their Supplies 

Sometimes anxiety creeps into our children’s lives when they feel unprepared. Before school starts, make sure you know what supplies they need to bring with them. Help them organize their backpack with everything they might need for a productive school day.

Create a Homework Zone

Homework can be a critical part of your child’s success at school. Provide a location in the home where they can concentrate on homework. This can be a desk in their room or a shared space like the living room. It can also be at the kitchen or dining room table as long they can feel undisturbed by the rest of the family. 

Serve a Healthy Breakfast 

Food is the foundation for brain power. Start the day with a healthy breakfast. You don’t have to get stuck in a rut, either. Several bloggers online have created lists of healthy and delicious breakfasts great for kids of all ages. 

• Crispy Food Idea
• Don’t Waste the Crumbs
• Super Healthy Kids

Plan Healthy Lunches

Their lunch should also be healthy, so now is an excellent time to make a lunchtime meal plan. Sometimes they may purchase lunch from the school lunch program, but other times they may want to bring their own. Plan to create easy-to-pack lunches that provide them the right energy boost in the middle of the day. Here are more than 50 ideas from the Life Made Sweeter blog. 

Prepare for Sports and Activities

Returning to school may also mean a return to sports and activities. You’ll need to prepare and plan your schedule around anything that happens before or after school. Discuss transportation with other parents of children in the same programs as that can spread out the burden of ensuring your girls get where they need to be on time. 

Ladybug for Girls would love to hear from you. What are your back-to-school routines?