Get Your Children Ready for School

How is it that summer is already coming to a close? As the first day of school gets closer, there are a few things I do to make sure my kids are ready.

Set the Alarm Clock

During the summer, I’m pretty lax about when my kids wake up in the morning. However, a 9 a.m. wake-up call is not going to cut it for getting to school on time! A week or so before the first day of school, I shift their bedtime 15 minutes earlier and also set the kids’ alarm clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier than they are used to. Each day, I set it 15 minutes earlier until I get to the desired evening bedtime and morning wake-up call.

Buy School Supplies

My kids love stationery. They love buying new notebooks, binders, sticky notes and pencils. I love that there’s an electric excitement and a bubbly anticipation of getting new school supplies. Target, Daiso, Staples, Dollar Tree, Office Max…here we come! Not only will these items be put to good use, buying new school supplies brings about a positive attitude towards learning – a small investment that will reap big rewards.

Buy a Couple New Items of Clothing

I don’t know about you, but my kids grow a lot during the summer. Maybe it’s the sleeping in, all that eating, and those carefree days that causes them to sprout! As I pull out transitional pieces for their fall wardrobe, usually a light jacket for layering and a couple pairs of pants, I always find that they have outgrown some of their clothes!

As simple as it sounds, buying a couple items of new clothing, like a new shirt or a pair of pants, will signal to them that they are growing and will continue to grow as the new school year starts. Take them shopping with you so they can choose their new clothes. When they proudly wear their new clothes, remind them that just as they have experienced physical growth, they should look forward to other areas of growth, may it be academic, emotional or spiritual. Teaching your kids to expect and embrace growth in all its forms is a powerful and valuable lesson they’ll use for life.

Happy planning!

Jaime