s y a 7W
to Start the School Year By Janeen Lewis
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CHOOL BELLS WILL SOON BE RINGING, and while that means no more sleeping in or lazy days at the pool, welcoming structure and routine back into family life helps get kids who are reluctant to return to school more motivated to go. With a positive attitude and a few back-to-school motivators, even reluctant school goers can start the school year off right. And getting off on the right foot paves the way for school success for the entire year.
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Get organized
Organize those areas that you will use for school preparations. Make a place for lunch and breakfast items in the refrigerator and pantry so they will be ready to go when making lunches or breakfast. Restock home desk supplies and prep study areas. Organize your laundry room with baskets for school uniforms, sports uniforms, and individual kid’s clothes. Don’t overlook your vehicle. Keep a basket with all the things you might need for those busy hectic drives between school, work and after-school activities.
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Purge last year’s items
Go through backpacks and closets and get rid of anything that is outgrown or worn out. Sell the nicest items at consignment stores or a yard sale, and It’s easy to get off schedule during the summer save what you make to put toward new items this school when longer days beckon kids outside late and year. sleeping in is easy to do. Introduce routines for going to If your child has a hard time letting go of items even bed and waking up before school starts because it may though they are worn out or do not fit, try putting them take children a few days to adjust. Read a book together in storage for a month or two, then bring them back out. as a family to simulate academic routine before daily I have done this with my own kids, and usually they are homework starts. If you have tweens or teens that have willing to give up the items when they realize they have been staying up late, take their bed time back 15 minutes not missed them. every night until you get to the desired bedtime so it Continued next page >>> isn’t too much of a shock to kids’ sleep cycles.
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Reintroduce routines
August 2022 | BostonParentsPaper.com
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