Back to School (2021 Edition)
In a previous post, I talked about going back to school. For some schools, Spring 2021 was a time that we saw many students go back into the physical classroom for the first time since COVID-19 hit. This September, many students no longer have the option but to go back to school full time, in-person, and depending on the school districts, masks may not be required. Here are 10 tips to get you and your child(ren) ready!
Bedtime routine. Check out my previous article about sleep hygiene. Have your child (no matter their age) get back into a routine of going to bed at a decent time and waking up at a decent time. If possible, try to start doing this 1-2 weeks prior to the first day of school.
Decrease screen time. For many children and teens, summer allows for more screen time. Decide on an appropriate screen time for your child and what works for your family. Set a date for this to start, communicate it to whoever it impacts, and stick to it! In a previous post, I provided some helpful tips for appropriate screen time and encourage you to check it out.
Get organized & excited. Figure out what items your child needs for school and get them early. Allow them to help. If they need 4 notebooks, have them pick the notebooks out. Get them excited to go back-to-school shop and allow their personalities to show through their item selection.
Schedule Awareness. Coming off of summer where the days are long and the routines usually aren’t as strict, get back on track with a calendar. Have a calendar of events someplace your child can see to show what their schedule will look like. Younger children in the home? Use pictures to show what the schedule looks like for the week.
Homework Time. Set a rule for when and where homework will be completed. Your child should have a quiet location to complete their work after school. Ideally, this space is NOT your child’s bedroom. Is your child expected to start their homework right when they get home, or is there some flexibility? Figure out what works best for them and the family’s schedule and let them know ahead of time what the routine will be.
Practice wearing a mask. If your child’s school district is requiring masks (or you feel more comfortable with them in a mask) and your child hasn’t been back to school with a mask on, practice! Many of us are used to wearing masks at this point. However, many of us are not used to wearing them for multiple hours. Start practicing with your child for longer and longer increments. Make sure your child also has extra masks with them in the event that they need to change out of the one they started the day with.
Review appropriate handwashing. This one is big, especially with the younger kids, and should be on the list even before COVID-19. Have them sing the alphabet song or “Happy Birthday” two times while handwashing. Have hand sanitizer in the backpack and review appropriate times to wash hands and use hand sanitizer.
Ask for a tour. Speak to your child’s school to see if you can set up a tour of the school and for them to see their classroom. If they know what to expect before the first day, they might be calmer about the transition back.
Pick out your first day of school outfit early. Unless your child has to wear a school uniform, spend some time a few days before the first day talking with them about what they want to wear to school. Let them be involved as much as possible.
Have Fun! In the days leading up to the first day, don’t forget that it’s still summer. Try not to get too anxious about future events that you forget to live in the moment and miss out on the last days of summer. If you are prepping for going back to school do a little bit at a time or pick one day to get it all out of the way! The return to school can be an anxious time, try to weave some fun and exciting activities into the planning to help decrease those anxious thoughts!