Today we’re going to talk about 2 easy tips for back to school routines – and we’ll make it quick since we’re all busy!
#1 – A wake time. What time does your child need to wake up in the morning in order to have enough time to complete all their responsibilities (brush teeth, get dressed, clean room, etc.), have breakfast and have their morning routine completed without being rushed? Once you have that time figured out, work backwards to determine what time their bedtime should be. Experts still recommend 9-10 hours of sleep each night. To get really specific, you can Google sleep charts for the sleep hour recommendation for your child’s age.
#2 – Create routines and responsibilities. Let’s start with routines – you’ll want to create one for before school, after school and before bedtime. Within each of those time periods, you will want to think about what your child’s responsibilities will be for each routine.
For example – in the “before school” routine, who will be making the lunch(es)? And will they be making it in the morning or the evening before?
Please think about allowing the children to participate in the decision-making (what would they like in their lunch) and be responsible for something within each routine.
An example for after-school responsibility would be deciding where the lunchboxes and backpacks go. Also, do they empty the lunchboxes? Do they need to remove their homework folder and place in a pre-determined area for you to review?
Finally, when it comes to the before-bedtime routine, try to incorporate literacy into your child’s nightly routine. This will help to end the day peacefully and calmly (hopefully!).