It’s nearing the end of August. The air is a little cooler, and the leaves are starting to shutter. We’re all feeling that change is afoot. It’s been a good Summer, but now it’s time to turn our attention towards getting prepared for school. We thought we’d put together three helpful tips that might help you and your child feel ready go back to school.

1) Begin following a routine.

One of the hardest things about going back to school is getting back into a regular schedule. Give yourself some time leading up to the first day of school. Consider moving bedtime up a little earlier and start following the same routine you will adopt during the school year. Making a few small changes now will help make the first few days and weeks a little less shocking to the system.

2) Drive by school.

Building up your ‘back to school’ habits is a great start to the new year. Consider driving by your school at the normal time, reminding your child, “This is where you’ll come next week!” Talk positively. Be excited. You can also prompt them with a few reminders. “Remember your friends? I wonder what they’ve been doing this summer.” Pointing out facts, like, “This is where I will drop you off every day”, or, “This is where I will pick you up after school” can be really helpful. If you have the opportunity, you might also want to stop in and see your child’s teacher.

3) Go shopping.

Involve your child in the grocery shopping for school lunches. They can help decide what they’d like and you can discuss good nutritional habits together. If it’s time for a new lunch box, you may wish to have your child help pick it out. That way, they have the opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility and ownership. If your child is ready for new shoes or clothing, you can also talk about how big they’ve gotten, and talk about what new and exciting things they’d like to work on this year. Are they hoping to work more on their letters, or are they ready for chapter books? Is your child hoping to master the work that eluded them last year? This helps develop excited anticipation, instead of worry.

All of the ideas above are ways you can help your child feel prepared for school. If your child feels prepared, it will help them begin their days, as well as their year, confident and happy. And, as we believe, confident, happy children are successful learners.

How do you like to get ready for school? Share what you’ve found helpful with other parents in Chat!

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