How To Prepare Your Kids for Back-To-School

For most parents, back-to-school season is the most exciting time of the year. After all, it’s a new school year with brand new possibilities and opportunities for your child. But while you might look forward to the fresh start, your kids may not share your enthusiasm.

For many kids, after spending summer playing and having fun with friends, returning to school can feel like a letdown. If you think your children have reservations about returning to school, read on for some helpful tips that will get them excited about the upcoming school year and help them settle back into their routine.

Studies show that "parents who help their children generate excitement about going back to school often find that the transition is easier, and their children are better able to enjoy their return to school."

1. Plan for the first week of school

While it’s essential to do everything you can to get your child excited about going back to school, it’s also crucial to plan ahead so that your child has the best experience possible. If your child is in elementary school, then they probably don’t have too many expectations.

However, if your child is a tween or teen with more specific expectations regarding their schooling, then the first week of school will be particularly important. For example, you can help your child organize their schedule and decide when they need to do things like catch up on their homework, study for tests, and complete extracurricular activities. By doing this, you can ensure that your child has all the time they need to complete their tasks and have a positive experience when school starts again.

2. Plan Play Dates Before School Starts

Kids always get excited to see their friends, and one way to get them excited about going back to school is to get them excited to see their friends at school. A week or so before school starts, arrange playdates with your kids' friends so that they can re-bond. Children who have friends at school will actually look forward to returning to school.

3. Buy New School Gear & Supplies

Even if your kids still have their old backpacks, lunchboxes, and water bottles from last year. it is a good idea to buy them new school gear to get them excited about going back to school. Take your kid(s) shopping for back-to-school gear and supplies, and let them be a part of the fun. If you can't afford to buy new school gear, consider purchasing new school supplies like notebooks, pens, pencils, and all the essentials your kids need at school. You can always shop online if you are short of time. Check out our Amazon store for so many back-to-school gear and supplies.

4. Visit the School

Schools usually open their offices a week before the students actually return to campus. Most schools have a welcome back week, a week before school starts, during which you can visit the school and pick up textbooks, PE clothes, iPads or Chromebooks, student IDs, and any other necessary school materials. Ensure you are aware of when your children are scheduled to pick up their school materials. And if your school doesn't have a back-to-school week, visit the school with your kid(s), and find out who their new teachers are, if possible, and where their new classes are going to be, so they won't have the anxiety of finding their new classes or teachers the first day of school. If possible, find out who their new classmates are and get in touch with them.

5. Have A Back-to-School Eve Party

Celebrate the start of the new school year with a fun School Year's Eve dance party, or dinner party, and ask your kids to make a list of fun memories from school to share with you. Let them talk about good memories from the years before, and what they most missed about school.

6. Have A Back-to-School Check-Up

The kids may still have anxiety about getting sick at school. Visiting your pediatrician might be a great idea to ease their concerns. Let your doctor explain to the kids about all health concerns and what they can do to avoid getting sick. If you can't take a trip to the doctor, research with your kids about all the precautions they can take to avoid getting sick.

7. Create A Homework Nook

Most kids dislike doing homework, and if your kids are like most, they will dislike it even more if they don't have a comfortable homework station to work in. Create a neat, cozy, and fun homework nook, and let them know they can count on you if they need any help.

8. Decorate Your Kids' Rooms

The night before school, when kids go to bed, they decorate their rooms or their doors with back-to-school banners and balloons. It will be a great surprise when they wake up in the morning to a decorated room. It will cheer them up and will get their minds off back-to-school jitters.

9. Take Cool Back-To-School Photos

Buy back-to-school signs and t-shirts, and take memorable photos of your kids holding their signs in their new back-to-school clothes. Find fun ideas for back-to-school photos here.

10. Make A Special Breakfast

Create a special breakfast on the first day of school with these healthy and adorable ideas from TasteOfHome. You can also ask your kids to create a list of their favorites for the first day of school.

11. Plan Back-To-School Lunches

Get your kids' help to plan their lunches for the first week of school. Go over this list to find quick and easy lunch ideas for back-to-school. If they are buying their food at school, ensure they have sufficient funds in their account to purchase lunch.

12. Give Them Some Goodies

Buy cool snacks that your kids love and pack them for the first day of school with their lunch. Let them choose their favorite snacks to take to school.

13. Back-To-School Theater Night

Have a back-to-school theater night. Ask your kids to take turns and play their favorite teacher, and you be the student. Or pretend you are a reporter from The Times and interview your kids about their goals, wishes, and fears about the new school year. You would learn a great deal about your kids, and you would be able to help them with their anxieties.

14. Read A Fun Back-To-School Book

Borrow back-to-school books from your local public library and read fun back-to-school classics to get your kids in the mood for the new school year. Click here for some ideas.

15. Post-School Rewards or Treats

Let your kids choose small but fun rewards or treats for after school, like ice cream or a favorite candy. When you have something to look forward to, your day is always better.

16. Create a Wish Jar

Create a jar and let your kids write their goals and wishes starting the first day of school, and put them in the jar (with their names). At the end of the school year, they will have a lot of fun reading them.

Let your child know what to expect from each day, and don’t forget to have fun. Most importantly, have fun with your child and make the most of this exciting, new chapter of their life.

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