It’s hard to believe that it’s almost time for back to school! While your child soaks up the final weeks of summer break, it’s time to start preparing them to get back into the school routine. Starting the school year off strong begins with ending summer vacation with intention. Here are a few tips to make back to school a success:

Get Back into a Routine

Children thrive on routine. Although they may want to sleep in every day and enjoy the unstructured nature of summer break up until the first day of school, it’s important to get their body back into the school rhythm. Establish consistent morning and nighttime routines, and limit screen time for a couple of weeks before going back to school. This will help them adjust to their schedule when school starts.

Plan Healthy Meals

While much of summer vacation often consists of eating fun foods and snacks, shifting your child to a healthy diet leading up to school can help them feel more energized. Starting their day with a healthy meal gets their brain and body ready to work. Meals that aren’t nutritionally balanced can cause your child to feel groggy and sluggish. It may be worth prepping ingredients and planning meals ahead of time to help the first week of school go smoothly.

Help Your Child Get Organized

Make sure your child has all the school supplies they need and that they’ve been packed in their backpack. This is also a good time to set up an at-home study space for them to do their homework. Create a visual chart or schedule that they can use to keep track of upcoming events and assignments. This will help them stay on top of their responsibilities and be prepared for what’s coming next. 

Communicate With Your Child’s School

It’s important to communicate with your child’s school throughout the year, including before school starts and in the early weeks of back to school. If there are school events like open houses and parent-teacher conferences, make sure to attend. Parental involvement is key. Keeping up-to-date with your child’s progress and remaining in contact with your child’s teachers and administrators is vital to their academic success.

Ease Their Anxiety

Some children experience anxiety leading up to the beginning of a new school year. Help them work through it by establishing open lines of communication. Allow them to express their concerns and emotions, and provide comforting affirmations. Remind them that it’s normal to feel some anxiety leading up to school, but the preparation you’re doing will make the process much easier.

Stay Calm and Be Positive

The most important thing to do is to stay positive. Children mirror their parents. If you’re calm and positive, chances are that they will also be calm and positive. Talk about all the exciting things they have to look forward to. Whether that’s the new material they will learn or the extracurricular activities they will participate in, focus on the positives. Your outlook can make a huge difference when preparing your child for back to school.

Back to school is an exciting time, but it can be overwhelming if you’re not prepared. With these simple steps, your child will be ready to take on the new year with confidence. Our Orlando preparatory school is dedicated to preparing students for life in and beyond school. We take a holistic approach to education, focusing on building solid foundations for our students to develop into responsible, moral citizens who contribute positively to their communities. Learn more about Lake Forrest Prep by visiting our website or by contacting us online.