From Summer to School

Here in Canada, September marks the beginning of school for primary, secondary, and post secondary students. It is a time of transition for all in the family as the carefree days of  summer  turn into one of routine and structure. Looking back over time, when school was approaching, it was important to me to have a fresh backpack, binders, pens, and pencils. It all signaled the start of something new and with it came aspiration that the year was filled with great opportunity. 

Some of the ways to prepare for success in the upcoming school year:

1. Have a family meeting to establish planned routines where everyone has an opportunity to  contribute. This creates cohesiveness and cooperation which will make the plan more successful. We are far more willing to participate when we have an active voice in decision making.

2. Creating a bedtime routine is a great place to start. Sleep is essential for our well being, it is restorative. Giving our body the rest it needs enables us to put our best foot forward and accomplish all that is needed in our day. It is also important to listen to our body from an early age, to recognize our own signals that we need rest.

3.  Prepare the night before by setting out clothes for the day and making lunch ahead. Anything you can do to make the day ahead start seamless so if there are any blips in the morning, these steps will already be done. Blips do happen, prepare a bit for them.

4. Still about food!  I can not stress enough how helpful it is to make weekly menus and buy groceries according to it. Planning in this way helps with time management, saves money, and also can deter last minute take out. There are so many wonderful ideas out there for meal creations.

5. Create a calendar and put all school work deadlines and extracurricular activities. When creating the daily schedule ensure there is time for rest and play. Planning family fun time also  continues to develop and strengthen connections.