Students are now officially back to school in Texas. This summer ran fast as we tried to have some fun, relaxation, and for many, travel after almost three years in a pandemic.
Working mothers will have mixed feelings about this particular time of the year. For some, this may be a well awaited time due to getting back into a predictable routine. For others, this may be a source of added stress. You can read a previous blog post I wrote on beating the back to school stress here.
Here are 6 tips to help you ease into the back to school routine.
1. Dedicate a place for school materials and supplies
Select an area of the home where all school supplies will be. This makes it easier for kids to get them by themselves as needed. They must get used to returning things to their place after each use or quickly this will become a zone of chaos.
2. Establish a sleep schedule
We all know this is necessary but how realistic is it for each family? If your kids are anything like mine, they will want to squeeze in as much summer time as possible. This means they will want to stay awake till late. Now that my kids are a bit older I am OK with this since they understand the consequences of their decision. Besides, I find that because they will be tired early on the first day of school they will go to bed early that night and get up early the next day. This has worked in the past for us, but may not be realistic for other people. Do what works in your situation.
3. Create a morning routine
Instill in them the habit of preparing everything at east the night before. Have a clear time to wake up, get ready and leave the house with the supplies they need each day. This facilitates the process and limits forgetting something.
4. Have your kids make their own lunch
Now that I have older kids this is easier, but even with younger kids it’s doable. When children are involved in the decision-making process and are allowed to choose what they will eat and prepare their meals, it is more likely that they will eat their food.
Something that I implemented early in my children’s school years and still happens to this day is to have a school lunch station. This can be a small area as your space allows. Also, selecting a day to prepare lunches for the week makes things easier. They just grab and go and choose in what order they will eat from the selected meals and snacks each day.
5. Get to know some of the parents
The schools are good at creating activities for the parents to meet the teachers, however, many times you can go without knowing the parents of your child’s classmates.
Our schedules can get so busy that we feel we barely have time to breathe let alone make new acquaintances. However, I think it is worth it to know the parents of your children’s peers. We all need a good support system and your kids will have a better experience if you get along with their friends’ parents.
Besides, you never know when you will have a late day, a last minute meeting or another conflict in schedule and you may have to request the help from another parent during carpool. It is less awkward if you have already established a relationship.
6. Enjoy this time
It feels as if we just finished the second semester of last year and we are back again in school. Although the day-to-day may be hectic, it will be over sooner than we think. There will be challenges and there will be amazing experiences. Try to be present and enjoy this time as much as possible to make it easier on you and yours. Don’t forget to take photos!
About Dr. Landrau
Dr. Carmen W. Landrau is a professional speaker in Houston, TX. She works with organizations focused on retaining women in the workforce and promoting them to executive levels. Her talks about leadership and women’s empowerment, show professional women how to work on their mindset to obtain visibility and recognition to become phenomenal leaders in their industry.
Invite Dr. Landrau to speak at your event by sending a direct message to drlandrau.com/contact. Check her social media pages on LinkedIn, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook.
