6 New School Year Tips From a Teacher

Weren’t we just singing School’s Out for Summer!? Now we teachers are crying as we see the back-to-school commercials and the school supplies being put out. And as parents, we might be celebrating that our kids will soon be heading back to the classroom!

The beginning of the school year can be a stressful time for teachers, parents, and students. Here are my six tips to help your kids get ready for a brand-new school year!

  1. Start planning the first day of school outfit. Whether it be a cute dress, a short set, or a tie, many kiddos must have the perfect first day of school outfit to put their minds at ease! In our house, we usually have someone make a shirt with the grade our child is going into. These shirts are things that our girl cherishes and keeps. I plan to have a t-shirt blanket made from all of them someday!
  2. Start making bedtime and wake up times earlier. This summer, our bedtime has seemed to get later and later. We have enjoyed a lazy summer and not being on a schedule. Start making bedtime 5 minutes earlier each night until your child is at their “school bedtime”. Do the same thing in the morning. Work on getting them up earlier and earlier each morning. This will help drastically when it’s time to return to school!
  3. Do you have a slow eater? It might be a good idea to have them work on eating lunch as they will at school, especially if you have a kindergartner. There are so many distractions in a cafeteria. Have your child practice eating during their lunch time frame for their grade level. Some schools only get 25 minutes for each grade to eat. Have them practice opening their lunchbox and all their food themselves.
  4. Start having your child lay out the clothes that they plan to wear the night before. If you have a little one, help them pick out their clothes the night before. This will save everyone a huge headache every morning.
  5. Get calendars organized. Everything seems to get even busier during the school year. Sports pick back up, and it seems like everyone is going in different directions all the time. Sit down, either as a family or with your significant other, and figure out who is dropping off and picking up who and from what.
  6. Make a designated spot in your home for backpacks, jackets, and lunchboxes. Nothing stresses out a parent more than coming home to your child’s school stuff strung everywhere. In the morning, your kiddo will know exactly where their backpack is and this will help with a smoother transition out the door.

A new school year can be hard on our kids. Every year brings a new teacher, new kids in their class, and new expectations. These tips can help eliminate some of the anxiety that they feel on that first day of school and set them up to have a successful year!

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Carissa South
Carissa is a loving wife, mother, and educator holding a masters of reading from the University of Central Oklahoma. She loves helping around their farm by taking care of the goats, chickens, and dogs. Her newly-adopted daughter brings lots of new challenges to her life as she is learning to balance work, family, and parenting.

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