It’s back to school time! That’s right. It’s time to start fresh. A yearly reset if you will and this year is going to be awesome! 

There was just not enough time to enjoy summer, but that’s okay because we are going to make the upcoming school year the best one yet! The following 4 things will help make back to school less stressful for you so that everyone can enjoy a more calm beginning to the year. 

4 Things to Do to Help Make Back to School Less Stressful

Create a Plan

Having a plan will go a long way to making your back to school process less stressful. What time will the kids need to wake up? Are they riding the bus? If not, who is taking them? What route will you be driving, etc. All of these things may seem insignificant, but I assure you, they are not. 

Get Back to a Routine Early

Don’t wait until the day before school to get your kids to bed at a decent time. If you don’t stick to a schedule during the summer months (no judgment), be sure and start getting back to it a week or two before the kids go back to school. Be sure that they wake up early and go to sleep early too!

Meal Plan / Prep

Those first couple of weeks of school are hectic and chaotic. Make sure you don’t make meal time part of that chaos. Plan and prep your meals in advance and I promise you that you will have less stress going on. 

Be Positive

I know you are stressed about the school year starting, but be sure to not spend all of your time complaining about it or being outwardly stressed about it. Your children will feed off of your energy and they will be stressed too. The more you stress the more they will and I assure you, you do not want to go into the school year with stressed out children.

Whether your kids are already back to school or they will be returning in the coming months, you are probably dealing with the stress of all of it. Honestly, sending the kids back to school is stressful for parents and kids alike. I’m also finding it stressful for my son that is not yet school age. His big brother and sister are leaving him and he is broken hearted!

We have been working on how to make the back to school transition easier for all of us and we are finding that the following things have been helpful. If you have any further suggestions for us, please feel free to share!

How to Make The Back to School Transition Easier

Talk 

That’s right. Simply allowing your kids to talk to you about their stresses and let them ask you any questions that they may have will calm their anxieties more than you might think. Plus, knowing that you have their back will go far to building their confidence.

Take a Tour of the School

Take your kiddo to the school and let them get familiar with it. It’s nerve wracking to walk into school with a large number of other kids. This stress is intensified if the kids aren’t familiar with the school. Even if they have been to that school before, it’s good for them to get familiar with their new classroom. 

Set up Some Playdates

Getting the kids together with their classmates before school starts is a great way to get them feeling comfortable and excited again. Knowing that they get to go to school and hang out with friends is going to be exciting. 

Grab Some Fun Lunch Food

If your kiddo is feeling nervous, one thing that always works at my house is to let my kids go grocery shopping with me for lunch food. I let them pick out treats that they get to have at home very often. It helps them get excited about packing their lunch and enjoying their fun lunch time at school.