The sweet, busy times of summer are ending soon ? and whether you’re a veteran back to school family or sending your child off to school for the very first time, now is the time to start prepping the kids and yourself! As with any transition, back to school time can be both exciting as well as a bit stressful for all family members. Luckily, we’ve teamed up with our friends over the Vermont Department of Health – Middlebury to bring you a back to school check list of ideas to consider:
- pull out some books with school themes, such as the “Mrs. Bindergarten Goes to Kindergarten,” “The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes,” and “Frindle.”
- adjusting to an earlier bedtime and/or an earlier morning alarm
- visiting the school playground
- joining back to school activities your child’s school is planning (i.e. classroom visits, meet and greets, sports, arts and crafts, etc).
- ask your children if they have any questions or worries they want to talk about such as their new teacher or the school bus adventure. Good communication is key to happy families!
- register for after-school programs – know what options you have before spots fill up for after school care, lesson, sports, and activities.
- and don’t forget, the summer months are a great time to get your child in to see their primary care provider before heading back to school. Schedule your child’s yearly well-care visit and get them caught up on any missing vaccines. The school nurse will thank you!
How do you get your family ready for back to school? What works and what doesn’t? Share you thoughts via facebook, twitter, our comment section or email us.
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