Back to school is a busy time with about a million things to do. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and crazed by the clock’s constant ticking, telling you that time’s running out before school starts, we’re here to help! We’ve put together a checklist to help you keep track of what you need to do before the first drop-off:
Clothing:
Whether or not your kids need uniforms, it’s important to look through your kid’s closets and make sure they have what they need for the new school year. As all parents know, kids can grow whole inches in a matter of months, so pants are one of the key clothing items to monitor. Then, make appropriate purchases so that your child is ready to begin the school year. Keep in mind school rules on dress code.
School Supplies:
Many schools send lists of supplies for parents to buy. If this is the case, you can purchase the necessary materials and label your child’s items. If you don’t get a list, you can simply stock up on basic school supplies like pencils, lined paper, crayons, glue, notebooks, and similar items at home. This way, your child will have what they need to do homework.
You might also want to ask your child’s teacher whether or not they need any extra supplies once school has begun.
After School and Extracurricular Activities:
You might want to sign your children up for after school activities like sports, coding or dance lessons for the school year, now is the time to do it!
It can also be a good idea to look into extra academic programs that might be interesting for your kids. Maybe you want them to learn a new language?
However, it’s important to decide how much you and your family can commit to. You might also want to think about your time management and logistics and maybe put your kids in the same activity so that you can take them there at the same time.
Getting into new routines:
Late summer is a great time to organize your kids and get them used to their school year routines again. For example, a few weeks before school begins, you might start enforcing a bedtime. If your kids have a later summer bedtime, start moving it earlier in 10 minute increments so that they have some time to adjust to the change. At the same time, you might begin encouraging a wake-up time so that your kids won’t be groggy-eyed on the first day of school.
Setting Goals:
You might consider talking to your kids about setting a goal or two for the academic year. Encourage these goals to be things your child will have control over. For example, your child might make a goal to “never miss a homework assignment” or “do 10 minutes of reading every day”. These are easy to measure and also don’t depend on a teacher’s grading practices. Then, mark a day in the calendar a month or so ahead to check on your child’s progress towards meeting their goal. At this point, you can set a new goal if your child wants.
Setting goals can help your child improve their academic achievement and feel a connection between school and home. Then, at the end of the year, celebrate your child’s progress and the goals they’ve achieved.
With a checklist in hand, getting everything ready for the school year ahead should be a bit easier.
On UrbanCircle you can find a lot of options for parent-approved providers of various after school activities, sports, academic support and also baby sitters if you need some help at home too during the year. The platform is easy to navigate and provides a hassle free online booking option.
Before you know it, you’ll be cruising into the new school year, organized and ready.