It’s the end of the summer, mornings are starting to become a bit cooler, and soon, the sound of school buses will be filled with students returning to school. It is significant to establish a healthy routine as students transition from a relaxed summer schedule to a more structured school routine. Here are some tips for a smooth start.
Structured routines have many benefits regarding time management, reduced stress and improved productivity. Begin by getting a list together of activities and tasks needed to be completed leading up to the start of school, such as shopping for school supplies, setting up a study area and adjusting sleep schedules. Parents need to communicate openly with the children during this transition period and discuss expectations and concerns. Early mornings are hard for some kids when they stay up late playing video games, watching Netflix, and sleeping late the next day. Start by limiting screen time in the evenings, establish an earlier bedtime, and lights out at a reasonable time.
Some strategies for creating a balanced daily schedule include time for homework, extracurricular activities and relaxation. If you can be home with your children when they get out of school, make them a healthy snack and have them get to homework right away in an established study area. Apples and peanut butter are a perfect snack to give so they can have some natural sugar and protein and won’t ruin their appetites for dinner. After they finish their homework, if they have any extracurricular activities, they can do those until dinner is ready. After dinner, it is time for some relaxation. Allow them to watch a show or play some games until it is time for bed.
Back to school can be stressful for parents and children, especially in the early mornings. Have everything ready to go the night before, such as packed lunches, books, papers, folders, binders, and electronics charged and packed up. Outfits for school should be laid out and ready, so there is no need to worry about what to wear or if anything needs to be ironed. This will eliminate the hustle and bustle in the early mornings trying to get everything ready. If you must drive your kids to school, always allow plenty of time to get to school since morning traffic will be busy. Nobody needs to start their mornings off with road rage. Music soothes the soul! Play relaxing music in the car to have a happy and relaxed mind frame for you and your kids. If you are into essential oils, diffuse various blends for each time of the day. Have some orange or lemon balm blends for the morning to get an energetic start. Then, in the afternoon, diffuse a cinnamon blend during homework time to have another energy boost. Do some lavender and vanilla oils in the evening for a relaxing feel before bed. Certain crystals have healing powers and can help with back-to-school woes, including amethyst for calm minds, citrine for confidence, rose quartz for emotional balance and self-love, and obsidian for protection.
In today’s world of technology, kids these days have a plethora of gadgets for school. Most kids will already have a smartphone by age nine, but beyond a smartphone, what are some other tech essentials needed for students? Everyone has their preferred way of taking notes, either writing by hand or typing on the computer or smart tablet. But now, a reusable digital notebook brings the best of both worlds. Students can write the notes using a special pen provided and scan them all using an app. The pages are optimized and digitized to search for specific words like typed text. Another nifty tech gadget is an anti-theft laptop bag with a USB port. This bag has a USB charging port to keep your phone powered up on the go and the option to lock the main compartment with a passcode for added security. It is also water-resistant.
We hope this has provided valuable information and insights to help parents navigate back-to-school season effectively and make informed decisions about technology and routines.
