10 Tips For A Smooth Back To School Transition 

Well guys, it’s officially back to school time. This weekend is Tennessee’s tax free weekend holiday which means summer is almost over. Time to buy those school supplies, new wardrobes, and get back into the swing of things. I don’t know about you, but with my kids we have to start our back to school transition early. If we don’t, we all pay for it, ha! It’s important for the kids and it’s important for the parents to get back into the groove before school starts, that way when the first day back comes you are all prepared and ready to go. With that in mind I thought I would share some of my back to school transition tips that work really well for us, in hopes that it would work for you guys too! Let’s check them out…

Here are my 10 tips for a smooth back to school transition:

1. Early to bed, early to rise- We all know that getting up early for school is most kids most hated part of going to school, but they have to done it none the less. So after a summer of sleeping until noon, you have to do some training before school starts. We start about 3 weeks before school starts. The first week we woke up at 10, the next week at 8, and the week leading up to school it’s up and at em at 7! 

2. Don’t ignore your children’s anxiety- Going back to school can be a stressful time for kids, so you want to acknowledge their stress. Getting it out in the open will help ease so of the stress and then you will have a chance to talk to your kids on how to alleviate some of those back to school jitters.  

3. Stock up on lunch and snack items- The weeks leading up to school starting again we take a trip to our local club stores and grab everything we will need for lunches and after school snacks. That way it’s one less thing to think about during the chaos of the first few weeks of the school year. A full kid is a happy kid.

4. Shop early- I know, tax free weekend seems like the perfect time to shop for school supplies. But have you been to a store the week before school starts!? It’s a mad house! I like to shop as soon as the school supply list comes out. You can skip the crowd and get some pretty good deals if you look for them. 

5. Get those minds back in learning condition- Yep, we all do it, let the kids veg out in front of the TV for a lot of the summer. To help my kids with the back to learning shock that happens when they go back to school, I insist on some learning time in the summer. 15 minutes a day of working that brain! This could be reading a book, using math when buying an item, or some time to make some art! 

6. Give your kids a say- This goes for most school age children. When it comes to what they wear, the school supplies they get, make sure they have a say in what they get. It will make them feel involved and confident when school starts back again. 

7. Create a countdown- This is better suited for younger kids but if your older kids are into, get it going! About a month before school starts create a fun back to school countdown to get the kids excited for the big day. It’s something that is a visual reminder of how many days that have to prepare, and it’s brings in a little fun too! 

8. Set some limits- We know how much our kids love their electronics, and the withdraw syndrome will be real! They will go from being able to check their facebook all day, to spending at least 7 hours of their day not being able to. Help to ease this transition by limiting time spent on phones, video games, and computers in the weeks leading up to school.

9. Be excited- If you want your kids to get excited about going back to school, you should show them that you are excited as well. (But not too excited, you don’t want to hurt their feelings LOL). It might sound cheesy but if everyone in the house is excited for the new school year it makes it easier for everyone too. 

10. Have a plan- Having a plan for after school care, transpiration, what happens on sick days or school breaks, and anything else that you might need to plan ahead. It helps I promise! 

What is your favorite back to school transition tip?