Who is back in school mode? I’ve heard so many people stressing out about what their schools are doing and the uncertainty of this upcoming school year, but after listening to all the opinions and all the stress, here is what I’ve come up with…
Our kids will be ok!
Ways to Prepare for this School Year
Prepare them for uncertainty
Let’s get right down to the point…we have no clue what this year holds for our kids. Nobody does. Talk to your kids about this. It’s just like Elsa and Anna going “Into the Unknown”…lol, one of them decided that all she can do is “the next best thing”. Our kids can relate to that!
Our kids will learn to be flexible, persevere, and do the next best thing. It’s our job to encourage, love and support them along the way. We can do thi
It’s inevitable that this year is going to be filled with lots of change!
Talk to Your Kids and Answer their questions!
Talk to your kids about how school will look. If your district has shown pictures, show them to the kids. Talk about how the year could change and how to be flexible. When they know that change will come, they will be able to handle that change in a more positive way.
They will have questions as kids always do! Be honest with them and remember it’s ok to tell them that you do not have an answer.
Find consistency and routine!
Find one area of their life that you can keep the same. Kids crave consistency! Actually, they need it! While school as they know it will be different and the new way may be changing over and over throughout the year, they will need to have something that gives them a sense of normalcy.
It may be a bedtime routine or a family dinner routine. Maybe you do a morning devotion or play a game together. Give them something that they can count on to be the same each day! This will help them to feel safe and grounded when the world around them seems to be constantly changing.
It will help them to know they can count on a game, dinner, or a story each night. Using a checklist will help them with establishing schooltime routines. Check out some daily to do lists that I’ve created! I actually use a checklist of my own each day. These are more friendly for kids!
Fill in your own to do list and have your child check off the list when they are done! 
Cut on the solid lines, fold on the dotted lines and create a flip chart for your child to use each day as they get complete each task.
Click here for a “write on” To Do List! All you have to do is print it. If you want to only have to print one, then you can laminate it or slide it into a plastic sleeve or clear cover and use a wipe off marker. I actually prefer Vis-a-Vis Wet Erase Markers…they don’t wipe off if you brush up against it and it is easy to wipe clean with a wet cloth (FYI, it will stain…use paper towel or baby wipe)!
Embrace the Change!
This is on you! The only way to teach our kids how to embrace the change is for us to show them that we have embraced the change! We can do this! DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR NEGATIVE FEELINGS AND STRESS ABOUT SCHOOL AROUND THE KIDS!
That is right! You’ve got this!
This doesn’t mean you have to pretend that it’s going to be butterflies and rainbows…you can share with your kids that sometimes change is tough but that you are confident that it will all be ok! Let them know you are in it together!
Reassure them that it will be ok!
Remind them that they can do ANYTHING!
A great way to do this is to keep a journal! My favorite is the Big Life Journal! I can’t say enough about it. My son loves his and my daughter is checking the mail as we speak to see if her’s is here yet! We can’t wait to get ours! Click here to check it out and get one of your own!
Countdown to the First Day!
Get your kids excited by doing a Back to School Countdown! Here are a couple of ideas!
- Countdown Chain – We’ve all done it! Cut strips, glue or tape them together, and tear one off each day! This is a great visual that will get your kids more and more excited as the day draws near.
- ABC Countdown – Many teachers do this for the end of the school year. 26 days before school starts you begin with letter A. Each day is a themed day or activity that begins with that letter of the alphabet. If your kids are old enough they could make a list of their own. Here is what our family came up with…feel free to print it from my freebies page!
- Mark it on the Calendar – my kids have learned to rely on our wall calendar that I keep in my kitchen! They were so excited when I wrote “1st Day of School” on it for August!
Brush Up for School Readiness
Everyone is behind…so don’t go crazy drilling them all day! They still have another month of summer! Let them be kids!
Quick and simple ways to prepare for school readiness.
Read Everyday for 15 minutes!
Research has shown countless benefits of reading to your kids. Read to them, they read to you, it really doesn’t matter! JUST READ!!!! Everyday find 15 minutes to read. Below I’ve include some fun ways to implement reading everyday at your house.
- Storyline Online – this is a website that has celebrities reading their favorite stories aloud. My kids love to watch and listen to a story while they have snack time or lunch.
- Silly Spot – Choose a silly spot to read each day! Do it as a family! You can read under a tree, under a bed, on your roof, at a park, with some ice cream…right, everything is fun when ice cream is involved! Get creative and read!
- Read Alouds – if you have more than one child, have them take turns choosing a book to read to their siblings
- Chapter books to share – Choose a chapter book to read with your child. Take turns reading so that they can hear how good readers sound.
- Recipes, mail, directions to a game – Ask your kids to read it all!!!! Read everything!
Practice a basic math skill each day
Flash cards, math games, skip counting, count the money in your piggy bank and talk about saving/spending, cook together, and the list goes on!
Be intentional about practicing whatever the basic skill is in the grade level your child just completed. ABCya is a great website with math games that are broken down into grade levels skills that follow the Common Core. Xtra Math is also a great resource for practicing basic math facts!
As we enter new uncharted territory, we can trust that our kids will be ok! We must remind ourselves that nobody has the answer, and no answer is going to be perfect! Choose what is best for your child/family, and stay positive!
Enjoy Being Their Difference,
