Are You Ready For School?

This year E and I not only have to get ourselves ready for school, we also have to prepare B for his first year of preschool. Preschool may not seem like that big of a deal to some but for most kids it is a big learning adventure. Here are some ways we have found to help our stress levels stay low as we prepare.

1. Find an appropriate backpack. Having the wrong sized back pack can be very hard on a young child's body. Make sure you get them something they can carry what they need but that won't be to heavy and cause problems later in life.

2. Buy a Lunch Box. Having been a student in the not so distant past, I know a little about what comes in your child's lunch. Buying a lunch box and packing your child a healthy balanced lunch each day will help them not miss class for illness. This little bit of time shows your children lots of love!

3. Visit the dentist. Now is a good time to make sure kids have healthy teeth. It's so much better to do it now than to try to figure a time where they don't miss class to do so later.

4. Likewise, schedule your child's annual doctors exam. If you always do it just before school starts you'll know it got done and that your children have the necessary vaccinations to attend school. This is especially important for those lucky kids entering Kindergarten.

5. Get an eye exam. As a student this was missed in my life, how I don't know as both my parents wear glasses. I could have done so much better in school and had fewer headaches if I would have gotten my glasses earlier than high school. Many areas have free testing, find out where, it never hurts to know.

6. A hearing test is also a good idea. Especially if hearing problems run in the family make sure you solve any problems before they become compounded.

7. Find appropriate shoes. Although your child may think they want to wear those adorable flip flops to school make sure they have appropriate footwear. A good pair of tennis shoes is probably more suitable for the young child who will need to run and play at recess so they can sit quietly during class.

8. Get on a good sleep schedule. We know it's hard but it will be so much easier if you teach them to go to bed early now than if you just try to enforce it when they have school the next day. For younger children have bedtime at the same time every night, no matter what they are doing the next day.

9. Finish your summer vacations early. Nothing is worse than starting behind. Respect your child by scheduling any trips prior to school starting so they don't miss those first days. It may not seem like a big deal but feeling behind at the beginning can set a bad tone for the entire year.

10. Get excited about school. Tell your children the things you loved about school and get them excited to go. If your children know that you like school and that you feel it is important the likely hood of them enjoying it and eventually graduating is much higher. 

There is so much to do if you want to be prepared for school. Start now to reduce the stress and help keep your family happy.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Transitions Lenses blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.