Make going back to school a breeze for you, your kids

As summer winds down and kids head back to school, routines need to change. Pools and yards will get quieter and bus stops are busy again. Here are a few tips to help your student get ready for the school year.

Start adding small steps early on in order to make the schedule transition much easier. Have your kids come inside earlier each night as the first day of school approaches, helping them build their nighttime routine for school nights. Set aside reading time that might eventually become homework time before showering, brushing teeth and getting into bed. These small structured times will soften the blow of a bell schedule after weeks of play.

Make sure you know where the bus stops are around your community. It is also important to make note of how many students are at the stop, if the bus is always on time and where to have your child wait if the weather is unpleasant. Get to know other parents at the stop in case there is a day where you may need to walk a neighbor’s child to the stop, or vice versa. You may even set up a schedule for who walks the kids to the bus stop certain days of the week.

School supply lists come out in July or August, leading to the dreaded shopping trip that officially marks the end of summer. Try to mark off some items by going through your own apartment. Maybe you set aside leftover materials at the end of last year or have extra pens and pencils in your junk drawer.

See if neighbors who have older students have supplies left over from when they were in your child’s grade. Not only is this saving you money and shortening your trip, but it is helping you to clean your apartment.

A clean home is important to the success of your student. Dedicate a work space, making sure it is clean and free of distractions. This doesn’t mean it needs to be totally bare, but no one works well with the reminder of beach trips or vacation surrounding them. Work with your student to help organize the space.

Chances are other students your child’s age live in your rental community. Now that you have a dedicated study space and time, think about setting up study sessions. These can even begin before the school year starts, helping new parents and students to the community learn the schedule and ins and outs of the school. During the school year, this will allow your child to have social time outside of the classroom will still being productive.

The beginning of a new school year is exciting, but can be a bit daunting, especially for your student. Having transitional times and spaces will help a new grade and classes feel like a breeze.