Back-to-school season means parents have a lot on their minds before September. Did your kids outgrow their tennis shoes, or can they make them work until Christmas time? How many boxes of tissues do you need to buy for your second grader’s class? Did you return that authorization form to allow your child to play sports? There’s a lot to remember to help your kids have a happy and healthy school year.
While it can be exciting to buy new pencils, a fresh pair of tennis shoes, and fun-colored folders, school increases competing priorities. Having a plan and being organized can help you and your family have a healthy balance.
If you’re a seasoned back-to-school pro or new parent, there may be tips you can pick up on below to make back-to-school season a breeze.
Put everything on one calendar. An easily accessible calendar can help lessen the “what do I have to do this week?” questions. Put practices, pickups, games, and any important meetings on the calendar.
Make a weekly meal plan. If you know what you’ll make for dinner every night and have all the ingredients, you’ll spend more time with your family and less time at the grocery store.
Set yourself up for success. Get everything ready to go the night before. This will help make your mornings less stressful. You can lay out clothes, shoes, breakfasts, packed lunches, and prepared backpacks.
Focus on sleep schedules. Making sleep a priority and having a set sleep schedule will help create a baseline for a good back-to-school routine. If you’ve never had a consistent sleep schedule, set an alarm for 30 minutes before you want to go to bed. When your alarm goes off, stay off your phone, turn down the lights, and prepare for bed. This can help you unwind and be ready to sleep once you get into bed.
Create a morning checklist. If you’re constantly telling the kids what to do in the mornings, save your energy by creating a simple list for them to follow. Stick it on their wall. Use pictures if they’re too young to read. And no rewards. Just a check-box if they want to check off that they’ve done it.
Update vaccinations. Getting back to your primary care provider and setting up that first appointment is a priority. A vaccine dose may have been skipped if you or your child missed an important health milestone or did not see your provider.
While the ideas above are a great way to create the building blocks for back to school, remember that what works for you and your family is the best routine.
If you need to get your child up-to-date on vaccinations, call either the Cuba City Clinic at (608) 744-2767, Platteville Clinic at (608) 348 – 4330 or Kieler Clinic at (608) 568-3107, and one of the primary care providers can assist you in getting your child back on track.
