How to Make Back to School Fun For Everyone

As it does every year, the summer has flown by and it is already time for kids to be going back to school. Although the summer months coming to a close is always disappointing, for many parents sending their kids back to school is not quite as bittersweet! What can be chaotic, however, is making that transition from a summer routine back into a school routine.

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

For children, the end of summer can be a sad time and for those who are nervous about going to school, it can also be quite anxiety provoking. However, there are some ways that parents can ease anxiety and keep the fun going even as the summer winds down. Keeping kids positive and happy about the start of school makes the transition from a summer routine easier for everyone involved. 

Mommy Blogger and writer for MadameNoire, Tanvier Peart, gives some of her best advice for how parents can make the most of the end of summer and get their kids back on track for school. 

1. Make back to school shopping an exciting event

Finding new clothes and checking off all the supplies on their seemingly endless school supplies list can be a hassle and sometimes end up as a source of stress if the kids are not enthused about the trip. By trying to make it a really exciting event that signifies back to school and getting new stuff, it will pump kids up and most likely make them more pleasant shopping companions- and make the expedition run a lot more smoothly in general. 

2. Talk up their grade

Making the grade your child is about to go into sound really cool and exciting will most likely ease some of the anxiety or dread of the upcoming first day of school and make kids proud to be getting older and moving up in school. 

3. Host an end of summer bash or cookout

Ending the summer with a really fun neighborhood get together or cookout with family and friends will give the whole family something to look forward to and make the last bit of summer really count. 

In addition to a cookout, host a family game night or camp out in the backyard. 

4. Create a stylish homework station

Every student, from kindergarteners to high schoolers, need a quiet space to do their homework every day after school- so use this time to find the best spot in the house to dub the homework station, whether it is in the child’s room, an office, or a corner in the kitchen. Then, make it fun by decorating the station and adding some stylish supplies. Have the kids help you to get them more excited too and make homework as fun as homework can be!

5. Create a fall activities calendar 

For kids who are really bummed about the end of summer, it is important to remind them that just because summer is ending doesn’t mean that the fun stops. Create a fall activities list or calendar to show kids all the fun activities there are to do in the fall, even when they’ve gone back to school. This list might help to ease your end-of-summer-blues, as well! 

Parents! Let us know: How do you make back to school time fun for your kids? 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

Starting the Transition Into A Back-to-School Routine

Although its only the last day of July, getting the kids into a back to school routine can be an ordeal that takes several weeks. To minimize some of the stress and chaos that the end of summer can bring, it is often better to slowly ease back into the school routine bit by bit. The adjustment is easier for everyone involved (parents included) when the changes begin early on. 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

One of the best parts about summer (besides the weather of course!) are the unstructured days and the freedom from a rigid routine. However, that is also one of the parts that children struggle the most with when its time for school again. To remedy this issue, parents can use the few weeks (or even month) leading up to school to re-introduce some structure into their days. For example, if homework time is at 4pm during the school year, organize mandatory reading or learning time for 4pm every day. Meal times also often become less structured during the summer, so use this time to get dinner back on a normal school year schedule. 

A second important way parents can prepare children for back to school is by starting to reel in the late nights. If children have a relax bedtime or a bedtime that changes during the summer, use August as an opportunity to start moving the bedtime clock forward. Start having the kids get ready for bed or be in bed reading by a certain time, even if its just 15 minutes earlier than usual. Then, slowly week-by-week make the bedtime earlier and earlier until kids are back to their school year bedtime. 

In addition to earlier bedtimes, start waking kids up a little earlier in the mornings too. Children get used to sleeping in as late as they want during the summer (and for those with teens that can be very late) and so waking up early for school can be a shock to their system. Help children adjust by slowly waking them up a little earlier in the morning each week before school, so by the time school rolls around their bodies will be more adjusted. This is also better for you because it will save you from having to deal with some seriously cranky children on the first day back to school!

Parents, we want to know your thoughts! What strategies do you use to prepare your kids for the back to school routine?

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

How Parents Can Stay Sane When Kids Are On Summer Break

During the school year, parents and children develop a concrete schedule or routine of daily and nightly activities and know what to expect when each day arrives. Parents find comfort and stability in this routine and it helps free them from some of the chaos of parenthood. However, when summer break arrives and the kids get out of school, that routine is abolished and can make parents feel, well, a little bit crazy. Psychologists and child specialists recommend a few strategies for parents to utilize during these summer months to free them from some of the chaos and get some structure back in their life. Three months is a long enough time to develop some sort of routine, but the first few weeks can be hectic.

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

One of the first ways parents can stay sane as they watch their routine dissolve right before them is to organize a new (but less structured to compensate for the flexibility of summer) schedule before the kids even get out of school. This includes new summer bedtimes, meal times, and maximum technology hours. It can also include a list of activities family members are still expected to do on a daily basis regardless of summer vacation, such as making their beds or tidying their rooms. 

Another way to stay organized and feel a sense of structure is by making a summer bucket list. Three months sounds like a long time but once August rolls around, many of us find ourselves asking where the time went. Filling your family’s summer with fun and exciting activities is a lot easier to accomplish when you have a list to serve as a reminder. It can also provide a reference for when a nice summer day comes around and you aren’t sure how to spend it. 

Parents can feel the craziest during the rainy days when kids can’t play outside and the whole family is cooped up indoors. Use these days to have movie marathons, read or play board games as a family. Make it fun by letting everyone stay in their pjs all day and picking out movies everyone can enjoy. Another fun activity to try on cooler or rainy days is baking. Kids love to help parents bake and kneading dough or using cookie cutters will keep them occupied long enough for parents to take a deep breath and relax for a minute. 

Another method for keeping somewhat of a schedule over the summer months is to establish a daily quiet time. Even if it is just for an hour or two a day, kids can use this time to read, play quietly, go outside, write stories, or watch a TV show. This gives parents a window of time each day to get some important things done or just take some time for themselves knowing the kids are occupied. 

A last, but important, way parents can stay sane over summer break is by having the kids help out around the house more than during the school year. Summer is for everyone to enjoy, including parents, and without a long school day, kids have unlimited free time. Give each child a few summer chores to help out around the house so everything gets done faster and everyone can have more free time to enjoy themselves. 

Long breaks from school can feel overwhelming and anxiety provoking for parents of children with unlimited free time, but there are absolutely ways parents can minimize some of the chaos and make it so they have a fun and relaxing summer, too! 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

The Five Back to School Essentials for a Stress-Free Transition

After a busy but carefree summer the transition back to school can stir up some anxiety in your child. It is well-known by many parents that after being settled in a routine for a long period of time, changing to a new routine can be chaos. With some help from mother and author Chynna Laird, I have put together a list of strategies to help the whole family ease into the back to school routine as stress-free as possible. 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

1. Talk about it

A few weeks in advance, start to have a few discussions about the summer coming to a close and starting a new year at school. Start with a short, vague discussion to get it on their radar but as it gets closer to their first day of school have a more detailed discussion. Minimize anxiety by minimizing any surprises.

2. Make a calendar

Your child can keep track of how many days left till school if it is clearly marked on a calendar. Put it in an area that everyone sees everyday, like the kitchen. This will help him or her feel some control over getting prepared and be able to visualize a timeline. Make it fun by having a countdown so your child can feel excited about starting a new year of school!

3. Slowly ease back into the school-year routine

Going from the summer routine one night into the full blow school year routine the next is too confusing and stressful for kids, inviting high levels of anxiety and meltdowns. A few weeks in advance, start to slowly take away the summer freedoms and apply some school year routine restrictions. For example, start to reduce their bedtime a little each week in the leading weeks up to their first day and if you have late sleepers, start to wake them up a little earlier so the first day isn’t a shock to their system. 

4. Make back to school shopping a family affair

Kids are always excited about getting new stuff, even if its a backpack and folders. Making back to school shopping a family outing will give the kids something to look forward to and can potentially be a fun family activity- even for you, (okay I said potentially)! So have everyone grab their lists and head to the nearest Staples at least a week before the first day of school, if not more. 

5. Do NOT save anything for the last minute

Referencing the last sentence in #4: head to the nearest Staples at least a week before the first day of school. This applies to all back to school anything. Make sure to plan well and stay organized because back to school time is hectic. Double check they have all their clothes, supplies, bus schedules, teachers, and whatever else they may need with plenty of time for last minute changes. 

Back to school time can be stressful for both you and the kids, but you can minimize anxiety and make it a more enjoyable experience for all parties involved by planning, organizing, talking, and managing your time well. If you do all those things, back to school can be a fun and exciting experience for the kids. 

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