Preparing for Back to School

Wow, I can't believe that the summer is almost over!  Where does the time go?  It seems that we have yet to complete all the summer activities on our "to do" list.

Seeing as school is only a few weeks away, it is time in our household to work towards getting back on a regular routine. This will be easier for Thing One as he is going into the third grade.  He knows the drill.

For Thing Two, however, it is going to be a bigger change.  She is starting kindergarten (sniff, sniff).  Hold on, I have to wipe the tears out of my eyes.  There, all better.  I can't believe my baby is starting kindergarten.  My word, they do grow up way too fast.

Although Thing Two was in preschool last year as well as daycare, the shift to all day kindergarten will be big.  We are fortunate to send our children to a school that gives parents an option as to whether they want their children in kindergarten all day or half day.  We chose the all day option for Thing One when he was five and he loved it.  I'm hoping that Thing Two will transition into this format easily as well.

So what things can be done to help children prepare for and transition into a school setting whether it be preschool or kindergarten?  Here are some suggestions:

• Start putting the kids to bed earlier.  During the summer bedtimes often get later and later.  If I hear, but the sun is still up one more time, I swear...  Anyhow, it is helpful to gradually start moving up bedtime so it isn't such a shock when school starts.
• Start getting them up earlier.  I don't know about you, but I like to sleep in on my days off in the summer and so do my kids.  We are typically up by 9:00, but sometimes we sleep in until 10:00!  That's a far cry from the 6:30 a.m. wake up calls during the regular school year.  Starting to bump up the wake up call can reduce early morning rushes when school starts.
• Teach them how to prepare the night before.  This can be a HUGE time saver in the morning.  Starting early at teaching your kids these skills will make your life so much easier later on while building your kids self-esteem.  Thing One is 8 and he gets his backpack out the night before and loads it with anything he plans to take to school, e.g., homework, books for reading during free time, or treasures that he wants to show his friends at recess.  This decreases the "I forgot syndrome" in the morning as the car is backing out of the garage.  He has been doing this since kindergarten (with a little prompting or friendly reminders here and there) and is now able to do this on his own.  Think about how this skill will help him later in life at college and at work.
• Lay out their clothes.  This can be a battle in the morning for many parents.  The school our kids attend requires uniforms so putting out clothes is not much of an ordeal in the morning because choices are limited.  However, mismatched socks, lost shoes and favorite clothing items that may not be appropriate for wearing to school or because of the weather can make it difficult to get out the door in time.  Spend the time the night before helping your child pick out what they want to wear and lay it out in the same area each night, e.g., a table, chair, etc.  Again, this is a skill that can help them later on as adults.
• Teach them how to make their own lunches.  There may be some parents who want to keep making their kids lunches and if you are one of them, disregard this bullet point.  I personally hate making lunches and always have.  While we usually take advantage of hot lunches at school just for this reason, there are days where my kids want to take their own lunch.  My son started making his own lunches at the age of five (with some supervision).  We made the process easier by putting bins with healthy snacks in the cupboard so they were easily accessible.  We laid the ground work by teaching him that the lunch should include a sandwich (or sometimes cheese and crackers...my kids LOVE cheese), a fruit and a dessert (usually a low-fat pudding).  In addition, we had his choice of an all natural fruit pouch or a little jug of milk.  He was so proud when he made his first lunch.  And just think, I won't have to be doing that when he is thirteen.  Phew, what a relief.
• Get an alarm clock.  I decided early on with my kids that I didn't want them to rely on me to be their personal alarm clock as they got older.  As a result, we went to the store last year and found two alarm clocks that are easy for them to operate.  Thing One has his down and sets it every school night before he goes to bed.  We are still working on this with Thing Two.  I'll keep you posted...

Some of you reading this may be thinking "Man, that is one lazy mom!"  For the record, I am lazy but not about personal responsibility.  As parents, it is important for us to teach our kids skills that are going to benefit them as adults.  Teaching them how to take care of themselves is one of our most important responsibilities.  Often, I think parents underestimate kids ability to do things like prepare lunches or manage household chores (more on that later!).

I often challenge parents to look to the future with their children.  Do you want to be waking your child up when he or she is 14?  If you do, carry on as their personal alarm clock.  If you don't, consider laying the foundation for them doing this on their own early on.  We are all creatures of habits.  The longer you wait to lay the foundation for self-care skills, the harder it is going to be for them to change. 

Of course, when I talk about laying the foundation you must make sure that your expectations are appropriate for your child's age.  For example, a three year old might have difficulty figuring out an alarm clock (although I know some who can operate entire home theater systems...amazing).  Younger children are going to need support, encouragement, some assistance and lots of patience while learning these important life skills.

What is your routine like?  Do you have some helpful tips or strategies to help prepare your kids for school?   Post your thoughts, comments and suggestions!