Make The First Week of School a Success

The first week of school is a stressful time for kids of all ages. Wondering if your going to fit in, who is going to be in your classes, what classes you are going to have, and new routines all make this week a hard time to go through. There are things that we as parents can do though, to help ease our kids into this transition once again. Here are 8 great ways to help get your kids back into the school routine and make the first week a huge success.

1. Make sure you have all supplies, clothes, shoes and anything else needed for the first day of school purchased and packed several days before the big day. Just knowing you are prepared and ready takes a huge stress of ones shoulders.

2. Make a big deal about the fist day coming up, and how excited you are for them to have a new years worth of experiences and adventures. Talk about all of the fun, positive things that will be coming up in those first few days that they have to look forward to.

3. Start getting back into the school routine early, by establishing a regular dinner time and reinstating before bed habits, bed time and wake up time.

4. Have a big "back to school" dinner the night before, to celebrate going back to school and the end of summer. This is also more exciting if you can invite friends or family over to enjoy the moment with you. 

5. Clear your schedule the first day or two back to school, if possible, to be home when your kids walk in the door. Listen to how their day went and be excited with them when they talk all about their experiences. If they had a stressful day, sympathize with them and help them turn it into a positive for the following day.

6. Don't have a lot of extracurricular activities planned on that first week. The first week of school is stressful enough without adding on 10 other things into the schedule. Let your kids have a few relaxing evenings to adjust to their new routines before throwing more things into the mix.

7. Make sure you establish good breakfast habits. If you don't have time to make breakfast each morning, then plan ahead by stocking instant oatmeal, healthy cereals, fruit and yogurt: just make sure they are heading out the door with a healthy start and full of energy.

8. On the first Saturday after school starts, let the kids have a little mini-party celebrating their first week. Let them invite all of the new friends they have made to just hang out. Keep it simple, so no one stresses. Simple snacks, a movie, and just hanging out time is great. Don't over plan: let them get to know each other better and this will strengthen those relationships for the rest of the year.

The first week of school can be stressful for some, but with a little preparation and work it can be fun, exciting and a very positive experience.