PARENTING
ALARM CLOCKS, BOOKS, AND DESKS HELPING YOUR CHILD RE-ADJUST TO THE SCHOOL DAY WRITTEN BY LAUREN DREHER
Routine. Parents either love it or hate it. Regardless, I’ve come to find that most kids thrive on routine, or at least a little bit of it. The parents I talked to recently about their kids going back to school say it helps their kids transition back into the school year. And there were multiple tips and tricks they gave that may help your kids ease back into the swing of things.
Tips for starting the school year •T he alarm clock: Many kids get to sleep in during the summer.
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They are now used to staying up late and not having to answer to an alarm clock. When it comes time to go back, they might be excited, but the sound of that alarm and actually having to get out of bed might be more of a struggle than anticipated. Multiple moms suggested reintroducing an earlier bedtime a couple weeks before. That way, everybody gets a chance to re-acclimate to the new schedule. •S chool shopping: One thing I always loved was buying school supplies. We’re all busy, but making a special trip with
the kids to get the needed supplies and letting them pick (or at least help pick) the supplies can help get them excited for that first week of school. •F un lunches: If your child takes their lunch to school, make it fun for them. Just like getting fun items for travel, get them something they don’t normally get. •F riends: Kids are excited to go back and see their friends. If your child is younger, sometimes setting up some play time with their friends in the weeks before will get them excited to see those kids again during the day.
