Are you ready for the back-to-school season? It’s not uncommon for families to scramble as the weeks before the new school year dwindle down. Take a breath, enjoy the last days of summer with your family, and let us help you prepare for the new year. Read our tips to help your family get ready for the exciting new school year:
Start A Schedule
A week or two prior to school, have your kids go to bed at the appropriate time. According to the National Sleep Foundation, preschoolers require 10 to 13 hours of sleep, children ages 6-13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep, and teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Help them get into a regular pre-bedtime routine that includes prepping schoolwork, nighttime hygiene care, and relaxing.
Plan Ahead
Have you ever rushed out of the house in the morning only to walk into the office feeling as if you have forgotten everything you needed for the day? Help prevent anyone in your family from feeling this way by planning ahead. Devote Sunday afternoons to things like meal prep for the week’s lunches and developing a family schedule. Elementary-aged kids can choose their clothes and set up their backpacks each night before school. Older siblings can help with chores, carpool, and help younger siblings during the week. Planning ahead will make everyone’s week run much more smoothly.
Bus Safety
Prior to the start of school, remind your kids about bus safety. Safe bus transportation includes listening to the bus driver, behaving appropriately and respectfully toward other bus riders, and knowing how to safely enter and exit the bus. Remind your kids of how to wait for signals from the bus driver and how to cross the street safely. If your kids get picked up, walk home from school, or drive themselves, remind them of safety standards and precautions. Your kids may be champs when it comes to safe transportation, but reminding them will reinforce those habits.
Remind Them of Expectations
During the summer, kids kick back and relax before the rush of the next academic school year. Once the school year begins, though, it can be hard to get back into the working mindset. Encourage kids by helping them to set expectations for academic objectives, sports, and extracurricular goals, as well as expectations for chores and responsibilities at home. Help them balance school and home life to help them excel this year and carry those habits into adulthood.
Encourage them to have fun
In addition to responsibilities and expectations, encourage your kids to have fun this year. Encourage them to engage in new friendships, experiment with new clubs and hobbies, or explore new subjects at school. Kids of all ages will benefit from trying new things and it will make the year more exciting and rewarding!
Every school year comes with new changes and challenges. Help your children make the most of this school year by preparing the whole family and kicking off your school year routine on a positive note. From the staff at Spanier Bus Service, we wish you and your family a safe and happy school year!
