How to Help Kids Ease Into the School Year

Yikes. School starts soon. After a long summer of unscheduled days—and not thinking about school, will your children be ready? Here are steps you can take to help kids get ready for the beginning of the school year:

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Start easing their way into the school year bedtime. Have them go to bed a little earlier each night for the two weeks before school starts until they're falling asleep at a time which will give them nine or 10 hours of sleep before the alarm goes off. And, remember, those nine or 10 hours start when they fall asleep--not when they get into bed.

2. Schedule an appointment with the doctor for their yearly physicals. Get copies of any paperwork kids will need for sports or other activities.

3. Brainstorm some ideas about what would make good breakfasts during the school year. Also, take some time to plan what kinds of things they'll pack if they take their lunches.

4. Talk with your children about what they think will be the easiest and the hardest parts of the coming school year. Discuss what they’re looking forward to and talk over anything about which they might have special concerns.

5. Discuss the school year schedule. When will kids be expected to do their homework? What time will any scheduled items take place--like piano lessons and soccer practice. What kinds of household chores will you expect kids to do during the school year?

6. Help kids brush up on some skills and practice reading (especially if they haven't done much all summer). Think about the kinds of things they were taught last year and then organize a little review. For example, make up math problems, do some map work together, or give them some topics for a few short paragraphs to write. Help them find one fiction and one nonfiction book to check out from the library.

7. If they haven't kept in touch with any of their classmates over the summer, kids might enjoy asking a few of them over for a back-to-school get-together. If you know of any children who are new to your neighborhood, it would be nice to invite that person as a special guest.