A back-to-school guide for happy parents and happy kids

It feels like the summer has gone in a flash and now it is time for kids to go back to school. But what do you need to do to make sure you all get off to a flying start? We have written this handy guide to help you prepare your kids (and yourselves) for the start of new school year.

Reflect on the summer together

In our previous blog, ‘7 Ideas for Educational Summer Fun’ we suggested making a summer book. If you did this, kudos to you! Now it is time to look back and reflect on what you have done this summer. Look through the book and admire your hard work. Get the kids to read back what they wrote. If you didn’t make a book, don’t worry. You could play a game with the kids where you each recall the top five things that happened this summer and why you liked them. It is always good to express gratitude and reflect as a family.

Know what the school year holds

First up, it would be helpful to understand what the school year will look like. There always seems to be endless things to do as a parent of a school child, so get ahead by reading this great guide. Countdown to School Success | U.S. Department of Education

As parents we are busy with our own jobs and lives, so it is helpful to write any important dates down in the diary as early as possible. That way, you won’t be scrambling to get something together the night before a cake sale, for example. It’s a good idea to have a visible calendar or use your phone with alerts to make sure that you don’t forget anything.

Has your child missed school this year?

Some kids have missed school due to Covid restrictions, and this has had an impact on children across the world. Social skills are being lost, so it is important to help them out. Talk about ways that they could make new friends and reconnect with old ones in class. Role play and suggest conversation starters such as asking, ‘how was your summer?’ or ‘what is your name?’ and then learning how to introduce themselves. For younger kids, conversations about sharing toys and being kind are really important too.

Making a nutritious lunch

Research has show time and time again that eating healthily makes kids feel good and have better concentration at school. Before the school rush starts, plan some healthy breakfasts and lunches and write the ideas down somewhere that you can see them easily. Make sure to add the ingredients to your grocery list. Some ideas of healthy lunches are wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables, yoghurt and cheese. Breakfast can be shop bought or homemade granola and yoghurt, wholemeal toast and peanut butter. Try to avoid processed food as much as possible.

Sign up as a school helper or volunteer

Most of you are busy working parents, but if you can find time it could be fun to volunteer at your child’s school. Not only do you get to know the school from the inside, but you will also be giving something back as well. It can be a great opportunity to make new friends, boost your resume, and perhaps even discover or develop a skill. Not only that, but you get to see your kiddos a bit more. Contact your school administrator for information.

Get into a good routine

During the summer bedtimes maaaay have gotten a little bit later, what with all the camping trips, late BBQs and so on. About a week or so before starting back to school, try bringing the bedtime a little bit earlier. This can be done gradually, just a tad earlier each night until school starts. It is so important that kids have a good night’s sleep before the school day, so the effort will be worth it.

Make sure you have your school kit

The list of items that a child needs for school can seem endless, but if you shop with us, you can get your back-to-school gear within our store. BUY 1 GET 2 FREE on our sets and 50%-60% off on all spring and summer items. Not only that, but you can use those “KK” points to save on all purchases. We also have BUY now pay LATER options for your convenience. Visit our website today to take advantage of these awesome offers: https://kenniskorner.com/

We hope that you found this list helpful. At Kenni’s Korner we want to see your kids happy, and that means happy parents too!