5 Ways to Get the Kids Ready for Back to School

August 11, 2015

My daughter and her kindergarten class leaving for their first field trip last year. Not surprisingly, I balled.

The summer is rapidly coming to a close, and while there are still plenty of weeks of sunshine left to enjoy (at least here in SoCal), the reality is it's back-to-school time. As a kid, the thought of heading into a new grade would fill me with a mixed emotion of excitement and wonder, but as a parent, I'm feeling anxious about shipping my baby off to first grade. In an effort to ease my nerves (because I don't want my girl feeding off of my stress), I've started to prep us both for the big day. Here is my plan of action to get us ready for back to school.

1. Bedtime stories about the first day of school.
Last year I started reading The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing at least three months in advance, so I thought it would be a good idea to pick up Wing's The Night Before First Grade, along with First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg, which is perfect for any grade. Both books are adorable, and First Day Jitters has a surprising ending that little ones will find hilarious.  

2. Ditch the summer schedule. 
Even though my daughter doesn't start school until the end of the month, I've already started to ease into our school routine by getting back on our week night schedule. For us that means dinner is on the table by 6:30 and the girls are getting their baths by 7:00 so we can be in bed and ready for a story by 7:30. 

3. Gear up.
Shopping for new school clothes, and picking out a cool backpack and filling it with pristine new folders, notebooks, and pencils was always the best part of the back-to-school experience. To make it even more fun, I had my daughter put on a fashion show with a few of her new pieces, and pick out her first day of school outfit. We also got her a Disney's Inside Out backpack, which has her really eager to head back to class.

4. Commemorate the day with a special tradition. 
Starting a special back-to-school tradition gives kids something to look forward to as summer draws to an end. I have friends who serve their three little girls cake for breakfast on the first day of school. Last year, I took my daughter straight to her favorite yogurt shop after her first day of kindergarten, a tradition I think I'll incorporate every year to celebrate a successful first day back at school. 

5. Pray 
A couple of weeks into kindergarten, a letter was sent home with my daughter stating that the school had received a report of a man in the area acting strangely, so as a precaution, they'd locked down the school that day. Everything turned out to be fine, but it was a chilling reality that I will not always be right by my baby's side to protect her. I recently found this prayer on Facebook, and reading it helps me to feel comforted that my sweet girl will be safe at school.  


2 comments:

  1. ...I will be saying that prayer very often Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, me too! I'm really type A and want to control everything, so it's hard to relinquish that control and trust someone else with my baby.

      Delete

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xo,
Angelica

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