In the flurry of new class schedules, fresh school supplies and after school commitments, it can be tempting to just forget it all and take it easy during the last days of summer holiday.
But, like most parents, you probably have a massive to-do list to tackle before school begins. On top of that, you still need a way to keep the kids entertained until they begin classes. Here are some tips for doing both.
Set up a preliminary school day schedule. Even during the last couple of weeks of summer you could be getting your kids mentally prepared for another year of school by creating a similar schedule for them. For instance, it’s important that they start going to bed around the same time that they would on a school night so that they can adjust to waking up at an earlier time. And mealtimes are important as well; a well-balanced breakfast and a reasonably timed lunch will put them in a food routine that they can stick to during the school year.
Get the academic wheels turning. It’s been said that kids lose a percentage of the knowledge they’ve learned during summer holiday. You can help prevent this loss and prepare them to be even more active in school by searching for educational-themed toys for children. If they spend their summer learning in a way that they don’t consider boring, they’ll be more flexible when the first day of school comes around.
Make space for a new school year. Shopping for school clothes and supplies is a time-honored ritual that many families look forward to. However, to make sure that you can start the academic year off on the right foot, you should first do a clear out so that the home doesn’t get too cluttered. Recruit the kids to gather old clothing and toys that they have outgrown so that you can donate them before you go shopping for new ones. Or, you could try to sell these items to a secondhand store to earn a bit of cash to pay for new school supplies.
Draw up a master calendar. The start of the school year isn’t just the beginning of classes. It’s also the beginning of sports practices, music lessons and any other extracurricular activities your kids take part in. To keep track of when you have to make a school run to pick them up, when their games and recitals take place and when you might have otherwise important school events to attend, create a master calendar for the entire family. You could go simple–using a whiteboard on the refrigerator, for example–or you could take the tech route by downloading a calendar app that can be synced to multiple devices. Either way, it’s helpful to have all of the dates and times you’ll need in one place.
