As we head into the final week of September, all the “firsts” of the start of school have been completed. Yay parents and kids – job well done! Now it is time to settle into the school routine. I realize this is no easy feat for adults and/or children but once established, it will pay off in a big way for your child.
ROUTINE GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS:
- SET a bedtime and stick with it – remember research demonstrates kids need 10 hours of sleep per night.
- EAT a good breakfast and have them make their lunch or at least help out.
- GIVE yourself and your child plenty of time for school or bus stop drop-off. TRY to avoid frenzy, it’s not good at any age and they benefit so much when they start their school day on time and ready!
- AFTER school, have a set place where homework is done every single afternoon/night. If possible, have the kids be part of getting that space ready. Have supplies in place to make homework completion go easily.
- BEFORE they start diving into homework, make sure they have a SNACK. You always want to work to avoid low blood sugar (not pretty this time of day!).
- LOOK OVER homework but never ever do it for them or fix their errors. The teachers provide homework to practice skills and need to know by seeing the child’s efforts where they might be struggling and need additional help. Praise genuine effort but also have your child go back to the homework drawing table if they only give it limited work. You are teaching persistence and a strong effort is key.
- HAVE them put all homework and anything else needed such as sneakers for gym in their backpack. Place it right next to the back door ready for a quick grab in the early morning on their way out!
- DINNER if possible have dinner together as a family as much as possible. I have heard lots of fun ways to encourage your child talk about school. One mom told me she would ask each night, “Okay what was the best part of your day?” or another parent would ask, “Where did you try the hardest today?” I am sure you all have your own way of avoiding the dreaded “yes” or “no” answer!
- READ together if possible every night for as long as they will let you. It is simply the best.
Creating a doable, effective family/student routine will be the secret sauce to a strong, impactful school year! Kids at any age are usually so much more successful when they can anticipate what is expected and know what are the rules and expectations are. Set ROUTINES will also save your tired soul after working all day.
Best of luck,
Laine