Back to school is an exciting time that brings with it new routines, brand new school supplies, learning new subjects, trying new activities, and more. It’s hard to believe that back to school is starting in the middle of summer. The carefree days and late nights are part of the charm of summer. But soon, summer will be over and another school year will begin.
It’s very hard to go from freedom and flexibility to a schedule overnight. You don’t want to say, “Go to bed early tonight because school starts tomorrow!” I’ve homeschooled my six kids all my life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a homeschooling routine. In fact, having a daily routine to keep things organized can help you stay on track and accomplish more while stressing out.
With my kids, I’ve found it’s always effective to start the transition to new routines early to give them time to adjust, and believe it or not, now is the time to start creating back-to-school routines. Before you know it, the new school year will be here!
So whether you’re homeschooling your kids or sending them to school, these tips will help your family transition back to school life from the summer holidays.
How to get into the new semester smoothly
The transition from an unstructured summer to a more packed school year can be hard for anyone, especially kids. That’s why I try to gradually ease my family into a routine starting in late July, so they have a few weeks to prepare and get back into it. But don’t worry if you can’t start in late July; having a solid routine in place is helpful any time of year.
These tips are what have worked well for us as we transitioned in our home: There are lots of routines to create, but kids need (and crave) structure to know what’s actually going to happen.
While planning the daily routine, don’t forget to involve your kids. My kids hold family meetings to decide the daily chore routine etc. All of my kids can cook so they contribute to making meals for the family. As parents, we ultimately control the atmosphere in our home. But I have found that my kids also have good ideas that they can contribute to our schedule.
Create a morning routine
After a summer of lazy mornings, a school morning routine can seem daunting, but basing your routine around school hours can make the transition smoother and mornings a little less stressful (though they’ll never be completely stress-free).
First, figure out what time you need to get everyone to school and start their day. Then work backwards to figure out what time they need to get up. Middle and high school students can sleep in later if their school starts later, but younger kids usually need to be up and active earlier.
For a simple school morning routine for your little one, create a printable checklist of all the things your child needs to do, including brushing their teeth, combing their hair, eating breakfast, getting dressed, helping with lunch, etc.
And don’t forget your own morning routine! I highly recommend waking up 30-45 minutes earlier than your kids so you have time to start the day slowly and get a few things done. My older kids and I wake up at sunrise to get some sunlight and set our circadian rhythm for the day. I never thought I’d be able to wake up that early, but I love the peaceful mornings!
If your family has been a late sleeper over the summer, start shifting to an earlier wake-up time a few weeks before school starts. Wake up 15 minutes earlier each few days until you reach your goal. This also works well for adjusting bedtime (see the evening routine section).
Decide on an after-school routine
After school is a great time to reconnect with your kids and hear about their day at school, but it can be helpful to have an after-school routine in place to keep things organized, especially if your kids are in extracurricular activities and have limited free time.
After school, provide a healthy snack and set aside time for conversations and stress-free updates about the day. You can also teach responsibility by having them open their backpacks or lunchboxes and tidy up their workspace (if you’re homeschooling).
If your child has homework, after school is a good time to schedule it. Another thing I like to build into an after-school schedule is some unstructured free time or playtime (ideally outside). When your child is a little older, you can help them learn time management. Give them guidelines for what needs to be accomplished before extracurricular activities and let them decide what and when to do it.
Create a bedtime routine
An evening routine is just as important as a morning routine for young children. This is the perfect time to prepare everything they will need for the next day. Prepare meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Let them pick out their clothes. If they’re participating in after-school activities or sports, put all their clothing and equipment together. Have them leave their shoes and backpack by the front door so they know where everything is when they leave.
As part of your evening routine, you may also want to create some screen time rules to help develop a healthy relationship with technology (if you’re looking at a screen). A bath is a great self-care activity to incorporate into your bedtime routine. Story time is a great way to wind down in the evening. Readers can spend time practicing reading to their family.
Are your kids staying up late over the summer? My kids often do too, so when it’s time to get them back into the habit of going to bed early, I start a few weeks in advance. Every few days, put them to bed 15 minutes earlier. By the time the new school year starts, they’ll be used to going to bed at a normal time.
Plan your meals
During the school year, time is a bit limited, especially if your kids are involved in extracurricular activities. We have several kids who play sports, so afternoons are often spent driving to various track meets. We try to plan meals ahead of time so that everyone is eating healthy and there’s no last-minute scrambling. We also keep our kitchen stocked with real ingredients because cooking and eating at home is a priority for us.
Eating meals as a family is so important, but it can be hard to do it every night. I try to make sure everyone eats breakfast (and dinner) together. I provide several breakfast options for the kids to choose from. I also make sure to have protein at every meal, because maintaining energy levels is so important. If you have older kids, plan lunches (no processed foods) that they can eat together. Even if you homeschool, it’s great to have lunches planned (but you don’t have to pack them yourself).
I Plan your meals I cook for weeks or months at a time, rotate my recipes and add new ones, and cook in bulk on the weekends so I always have healthy ingredients in the fridge, which is great for packing lunches and gives my kids something to eat when the whole family isn’t home.
As part of our evening routine, the kids and I meal prep for the next day – it’s a great time for them to flex their culinary muscles and it also allows us to spend time together.
Boost your immunity before you get sick
With school starting and germs on the rise, now is the time to boost the immunity of the whole family. In this article I detail what I do: I focus on whole foods, a nutritious diet (see meal plan), taking probiotics, and taking supplements.
Probiotics are super important for optimizing gut health and boosting immunity. We take spore-based probiotics because they survive in the digestive tract (unlike probiotics that need to be kept refrigerated). We also regularly serve fermented foods and drinks, which are easy to make at home!
When school starts, the kids are indoors more and get less Vitamin D. I make sure to check their Vitamin D levels and give them supplements if necessary. I also make sure to keep Vitamin C on hand in case they get sick every now and then. We use Epsom salt baths and magnesium spray or foot lotion (this is a great thing to incorporate into your nightly routine).
Get all the supplies you need
Whether your child is in school or home learning, you want to make sure they have all the materials they need to be successful. I like to buy materials in late July when most stores have sales on materials, so they aren’t out of stock yet.
Check with your child’s school to see what supplies they will need. Don’t forget to bring things from home to help with homework. Set up a homework area so your child has all the supplies and can get their homework done.
If you homeschool, prepare your classroom. Determine what homeschool resources you need based on your child’s age, lessons, and curriculum. We have a room in our house for homeschooling, but if you can’t dedicate an entire room, set aside a quiet area in your home for school.
And don’t forget new clothes! There’s a good chance your child will grow over the summer (how do they grow so fast?) and will need new clothes. I try to buy as sustainable clothes as possible, and I also shop at thrift stores and online. Thread Up It’s to save money and help the environment. We have a capsule wardrobe, which helps keep clothes (and laundry) to a minimum and also reduces the fatigue of deciding what to wear, especially with little ones.
Final thoughts on back-to-school routines
Getting ready for the new school year early can help your family adjust to the changes in daily life. With early planning, you’ll have your first day of school photos ready before you know it, and you’ll feel less stressed and more calm as the new school year approaches.
What is your favorite way to return to school and how are you planning for the new school year?
