Here Are 4 Great Habits For A Low-Stress School Year
Your family can incorporate four great habits early on to make for a successful and low-stress school year.
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-CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
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Transitioning from summer to school can be both exciting and overwhelming. Here are four smart habits your family can incorporate early on to make for a successful and low-stress school year:
- Earn Extra Credit the Night Before
- Have an A+ Morning Routine
- Revamp Your Language (Stay Positive)
- Simplify Schedules
Helpful Back-to-School Routines
Tip 1: Earn Extra Credit the Night Before
If you want to have an effective, easy-breezy morning routine, you must set the stage the night before with your evening routine.
Pick out clothes for school the night before.
Bonus tip: Let the Closet Do the Talking
Most kids love picking out their own outfits for school. Make seasonal transitions easier on everyone by moving out-of-season clothes toward the back of the closet and moving more appropriate school choices front and center—saving time and avoiding drama.
– CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
Making school lunches the night before will cut your morning hassle in half each day.
Don’t forget about keeping homework struggles at bay.
See Also: How to Help Your Kids Overcome Homework Battles
If necessary, have some kids take showers the night before so there are no mad scrambles and fights in the morning.
Make sure backpacks are filled the night before with books, homework, lunch money, permission slips, and gym clothes. Also, sports equipment and uniforms, musical instruments, art supplies, etc.
Get your family into the habit of staying on task the night before school, and everyone, especially you, will wake up with a sunny disposition throughout the school year.
See Also: 6 Simple Tips to Create Effective Daily Family Routines
Tip 2: Having an A+ Morning Routine Equals a Low-Stress School Year
Routines don’t just happen; they are created. Kick-off this new school year with an A+ expectation of calm and serenity by creating an effective morning routine for your family.
The year I got myself out of bed about 25 minutes earlier than my family was the year we all moved to the head of the class. I was able to get myself centered and peaceful before the rest of the house awoke which set the tone for the rest of the day.
CanCan Mom
If the evening routine was followed, mornings should be about showers, dressing in chosen outfits, eating breakfast, and then carrying full backpacks, lunches, and other needed items to the bus stop.
When you and your kids leave the house without scurrying for lost backpacks, lunches, books, homework assignments, and car keys, the rest of your day is filled with good energy.
Tip 3: Revamp Your Language (Stay Positive)
If you want to give your family the best gift ever at the start of this new school year for absolutely no cost at all, maintain a positive outlook and choose your words carefully.
Many years ago, I was watching an episode of Oprah Winfrey. It was a parenting segment, and although I don’t recall the guest she had on, the information I gleaned was priceless.
The guest said that the best gift you can give your child is to acknowledge him/her when they walk into the room. In other words, make eye contact when you and your child see one another for the first time after your school/work day! Smile! Let them know how important they are in your life.
– CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
Sadly, it’s all too common to be texting on our cell phones or be caught up in a television program when our kids re-enter our lives each day. That doesn’t have to be the case this school year, however!
Intend to set a very positive habit this new school year by lighting up when you see your child at the end of each school day. Even better, choose your language more carefully. Kids strive to receive positive feedback and affirmations from their parents. Ask about their day and cheer on all their positive interactions.
As dinner cooks, it might be a good time to go through backpacks with your children in case there are permission slips to be signed, uniforms to be washed, lunch leftovers to be thrown away, and homework to review. It’s a good time to listen about teachers, classwork, friends, or bullies so you have a handle on any possible problems
Tip 4: Simplify Schedules
If there’s one thing the majority of today’s families have in common, it’s being overscheduled.
If you want to ease the tension and craziness you usually endure throughout the school year, make the commitment to scale back on signing up for everything that comes down the pike. Easier said than done, I know, but today’s families are all lacking one common bond—more together time.
CanCan Mom
Take it from me, mother of eight: the years you get to spend raising your kids go by in a blink.
Make this the school year you pledge to reconnect with your family (and spouse!). If this means cutting back on one or two scheduled activities, so be it. Simplify your schedules now, and the remainder of the school year will score you a perfect report card.
How do you kick off the new school year? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment selection below or email me at cheryl@cancanmom.com. You can also visit me on Instagram at CanCanMomCB or on Pinterest at theCanCanMom.
