It’s almost that time of year again, the dreaded back-to-school. It may not be quite as dreadful for you as it is for your kids, but getting back into the school routine is always difficult. At Major we understand the importance of making transitions smooth and stress-free, which is why we’ve created some tips for going back to school and how to make your life easier. Whether you’re a stay at home parent or a working parent, these tips are sure to come in useful these next few weeks.
Sleep Schedules
During the school year kids typically go to bed two or more hours earlier than they do in the summer and wake up much later than during school. Unless you’ve managed to keep a strict sleep schedule all summer, this is sure to be a big adjustment. Instead of waiting until the night before the first day of school, start making bed time earlier each night. If you start early enough you can ease the kids into this by making bed time 15-30 minutes earlier a couple days at a time. Do the same for wake up times. Instead of letting your children sleep until 10, wake them up at 9:30. It’ll be much less brutal to make this adjustment over time than in just one day. The week before school starts, try to get back to normal school schedules. This will save stress for everyone and will make the back-to-school week an easier transition.
Morning Routine
During the school year, you’re the super parent. You somehow manage to wake the kids up, get them ready for school, feed them breakfast, and pack lunch. Then there’s the added element of making sure they have their backpack, homework, and after school clothes. In the summer, this routine goes out the window and suddenly the adjustment back seems impossible. Just like getting the sleep schedule back, it takes practice to get your morning routine down to an art. The week before school starts up, try to implement this routine again. You’ll be able to take your time but still get into the swing of things. Depending on the ages of your children, start instilling a sense of responsibility for them too. Add something to their morning routine that takes some stress off of you, such as having them make the PB&J for their lunch or getting their own breakfast. It’s up to you, but remember you don’t have to do everything by yourself.
Create a Checklist
While you’re readjusting to the back-to-school routine, it might be a good idea to have your own checklist. This can be mental or physical, but this will help keep you and your kids organized. This way, each morning, you can guarantee you aren’t forgetting anything. Just some things you might want to include on those lists? How about brush teeth, feed dog, pack a lunch, pack backpack, bus time/carpool arrival etc. Think it through and use this list until you’re able to function on autopilot like the super parent you are.
Fun Time
Getting the kids back to school is stressful no matter if you work or stay-at-home. While you’re dealing with the different routine, remember that the kids will be missing summer just as much as you loved having them home all the time. Gone are the days of swimming at the pool and running through the sprinklers during the week. Do your best to have a weeknight where the kids and you can still do fun activities. Maybe it’s a board game, building a fort, or playing outside (while it’s still nice) but try to keep the weekday fun too. Weekends are still a mini-vacation, but five days straight of school for them, and maybe work for you, without a fun way to end the day is draining. Get creative and find new ways for you and your kids to have fun even if it isn’t summer anymore.
How to Use this Information
Back-to-school can be both exciting and stressful. At Major, we hope these tips will make the transition a little easier on the whole family. The last thing you need during this time is for anything to go wrong with your cooling systems. In the case that you need to have your A/C inspected, please give us a call at 303-424-1622 or schedule an appointment online.
