Back to school season is a mess of excitement, nerves, and dread for kids. They want to see their friends again, but they’re less excited about getting up early or taking the bus. To help ease your kids into the school year, make sure everything gets prepared ahead of time- from supplies to attitude to schedule. Here’s our back to school advice for parents and guardians as the year begins!

Set a Schedule for Back to School

Transitioning into an early morning wake-up time can be hard, especially for older kids. Encourage your children to start gradually shifting their sleep schedule as the school year gets closer. Getting a good alarm clock can be a place to start.

Sleep is very important for kids in all stages of development. Without enough sleep, students find it hard to focus on their classes and other social activities. Although school might not work with their preferred sleep schedule, trying to get enough hours is essential to encourage healthy development. Learn more about the importance of sleep for each age group here.

Get What Your Kids Need

Teachers often let students know exactly what they need on the first day of school but grabbing some basics beforehand may save you a shopping trip later on! Double-check to see if there are school supplies left over from previous years first, then collect some basic necessities. Pencils, pens, notebooks, and folders are all guaranteed to be important.

However, that’s not everything! Backpacks, lunchboxes (if your student packs lunch), and clothing also fall under back to school supplies. All of this can get a little pricey, but there are plenty of resources to help you keep within a reasonable budget if it turns out you need more than you thought.

Double-Check Summer Work

Did your student have summer homework? Nothing’s worse than heading to school and realizing that you’re already behind! Therefore, make sure your students double-check that they’ve completed any assignments they needed to do. 

That goes for parents too! Make sure forms are filled out and information is up to date. Meeting your students’ new teacher is also helpful. Make sure you know what they expect from their students and how to reach them if there are any issues. While it’s good to let kids be independent, they also need a solid support system.

One Last Hurrah!

End the summer vacation with a bang! Take your kids out on an adventure of their choosing so that their last memory of summer is fond rather than bitter. 

If you want to make it educational to help them start enjoying learning again, that’s even better! There’s tons of ways to incorporate learning into everyday fun. Check out our blog on summer learning to get you started with ideas.

You Might Be Interested In:

• This complete list from Edutopia with all the resources you could ever need.
• Tips from the official blog of the United States Department of Education.
• Our Excavate! games are 30% off until the end of September. Ease your students back into learning with the code BACKTOSCHOOL18 on our online store.