After summer’s free-for-all, returning to a set, back-to-school routine of bedtimes, alarm clocks, bustling morning checklists, and getting out the door on time can be both a comfort and a challenge. To make this seasonal switch easier, here are a few simple tips to help you prepare for that first day of school without any tears or meltdowns.
1. Start earlier than you think you need to.
Don’t wait until the night before school starts to set up new routines for the start of school. Giving yourself and your kiddos a week, or even two, to ease into the new schedule will make the transition happier for everyone involved. Make it fun to get up and go to bed 15 min earlier than in the summertime. Plan a fun GF pancake morning or early morning hike. Moving everyone to wake up earlier slowly over two weeks is much easier than slamming everyone into that first day of school.
2. Reestablish nighttime routines.
A good night’s sleep is the foundation for a good day, so start your back-to-school prep by getting your bedtime routines back on track. Many kids struggle with going to bed, so try these tricks to help make setting a bedtime easier:
- Go screen free before bed. Turn off screens at least an hour before bedtime. Blue light can interfere with the natural production of sleep hormones.
- Find natural ways to unwind. Help those wound-up kiddos calm down from a day of summer fun with a relaxing bath, or make their room a peaceful sanctuary with essential oils. For extra help, spritz their bedding with soothing Seedlings® Calm™ Linen Spray or apply SleepyIze to everyone 15 minutes before bed. Find a new book to read before bed, make the oils, and book a new routine!
- Start small and work your way up. If bedtime was nonexistent over the summer, try setting a later bedtime and moving it 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night until you’ve reached your desired time.
- Have a plan for nights when settling down is tough. On nights when high-energy children need extra help settling down, try KidScents® Unwind™.
- Prepare what you can in advance. Lay out kids’ outfits the next day to avoid the inevitable morning rush to find something to wear.
3. Create doable morning routines.
Once your bedtime routine returns to running like a well-oiled machine, it’s time to tackle the chaos that hits each morning.
- Start setting those alarms again. Even if there are still a few more days left of summer, rising earlier will make it that much easier on the first day of school.
- Pick the right scents. Diffuse bright and cheery essential oils to refresh your living spaces, such as your kitchen or living room.
- Keep breakfast super simple. Make breakfast easier by limiting the number of options you give your children. Instead of asking what they want for breakfast, ask them if they’d prefer this or that. The choice gives children the satisfaction of having a say in what they eat, and they can then choose quick and easy options.
- Brace for incoming illnesses. As kids return to school, they’re inevitably exposed to more sicknesses and viruses. Then they bring those illnesses home and share them with the whole family. It’s essential to strengthen children’s immune systems. Incorporate children’s supplements into their morning routine to help your kids get a boost of vitamins and minerals to start their day. We love using our Thieves roll-on and KidScents MightyZyme™.
- Leave plenty of time for lunch prep. Allot enough extra time for your kids to pack their lunch or when you need to help your littlest ones pack theirs. Please create what you can at night or even do a Sunday lunch prep time with the family, divide snacks, chop up veggies, and make a week’s worth of grab-and-go foods for their lunches. These actions allow them to weigh all their food options so they’re excited for lunch.
4. Create a family schedule.
Do you have multiple kids and can’t figure out who should shower when and why there’s a line to use the bathroom when it’s time to get out the door? To work out any kinks, create a family schedule the week before school starts. Have a kid who likes extra-long showers? Have them shower at night before bed. Does your teen need extra bathroom time for primping in the morning? Have them set their alarm 15 minutes early. If everyone knows when it’s their turn in the bathroom, you can avoid the morning bickering and bottlenecks. And since you’re already getting up earlier, you can check and see how this schedule works BEFORE school starts. Make the tweaks before that first day! Also, get in the habit of applying GenYus or Kid Power to everyone (you, too) as soon as they wake up to facilitate great personal choices!
5. Create an organized space for school supplies.
Avoid the scene where backpacks are thrown on the kitchen table with papers and pencils all over the floor by dedicating a space for all school-related things. This place can be simple, like a school supply bin or a wall hook where your kids can hang their backpacks. Make children responsible for putting their school items away. This organized space will also help prevent many school-morning mad dashes from finding misplaced items.
As you incorporate these tips into your back-to-school routine, you set your family up for a successful school year!