As quickly as summer began, it all ends today. Tomorrow marks the first day of 2nd and 4th grade for my baby girls. It all seems to happen so quickly. One second they are in kindergarten and the next thing I know, they are practically in high school. Ok, ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration but it sure seems accurate. The years go by so quickly. Today they received their teacher assignments, so we decided to make some “back-to-school” gifts for their new teachers. It sort of acts as a “welcome back to school” project to get them excited for the new school year (if that is AT ALL possible).

Going back to school doesn’t have to be a nightmare, though. Here are some back-to-school tips that I like to think about when I’m overwhelming myself with the thought of schedules and homework again.

BED TIME SHENANGANS:

2 weeks before school starts, move back their “summer bedtime” by about 15-20 minutes at a time until you get back to your “school-friendly” time. For my family, we haven’t adjusted their bed time by that much so this wasn’t too hard. But, if you added an hour or so to their normal bed time during summer break, you can start to move back the time in small increments to better prepare them for the change.

ORGANIZE THE NIGHT BEFORE:

There is always going to be “hustle and bustle” in the morning on school days. But to help offset any unforeseen circumstances, prepare as much as you can the night before. To get organized the night before, make sure that backpacks are prepped and ready the night before with all the essentials (school supplies, extra water bottle, money for snacks, etc). It also helps to have the children pick out their outfit the night before. This way, there is no delay in getting dressed. Well, unless like me you have a very divariffic nine year old. That’s a whole other blog post in itself! My girls know what time I wake them up each day and what time they need to be ready for pancakes in the morning so there is never any confusion about how long they have to get ready.

PACKING A HEALTHY (BUT LIKABLE) LUNCH:

If you want to make sure your child is going to eat the lunch you pack, find what items your children like best and make sure to pack them. But, always try to add in little “extras” that can help keep them happy and healthy. Both my daughters have completely different likes when it comes to food. But I make sure to pack what they like and then add important things like fruits (grapes, raspberries, apples) and veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery with peanut butter) as well as a little treat now and them. Dark chocolate covered blueberries for my oldest and Dark chocolate covered almonds for my blondie. As long I add a little variety, everyone is happy.

Back-to-school can be both discouraging and exciting at the same time depending on how you look at it. I always try to remind my daughters that no matter what situation they are facing in life, they are in control of how it plays out. If they attack their day with enthusiasm, chances are good that their day will be exciting for them. But if they allow the day to run them or their mood, it will overpower their entire day. Like everyone, we each have our own opinions about the new school year starting tomorrow, but I am spending the whole day today reminding them of all the exciting things that come with the new school year and how important their education is to their future!

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

~ Danitza