It’s back to school season as summer comes to an end.
Here are some trips to make the transition easier for your little one and your family.
Make Drop-offs Smooth
Try to make the dreaded drop-off to school or preschool a more positive experience. Drop-offs can have the potential to be anxiety filled and a negative daily experience for your kids. Try to maintain a routine at drop-off by saying and doing the same things daily.
Example:
Say: “I will miss you while you are at school but I will be right here at 3 to pick you up”
“You’re going to have such a great day! I can’t wait to hear all about it when I see you soon”
Try to say the same thing each day and end by saying “Bye I love you”
Do: Place a kiss in the palm of their hand to use throughout the day when they miss you. This is a special tradition our family uses for our kids to feel our love throughout the day.
Put a note or picture in their lunchbox to surprise them halfway through the day.
Feel the Love at Pick-ups
Make school pick-up a special time just for you and your child. Make them feel important and so loved.
Say: “I missed you so much while you were at school. I hold you in my heart even when we are apart.”
“I blew you a kiss today while you were at school, did you get it?” (This is our family favorite)
Do: Give them love and physical affection in that moment of reunion
Unpack the Day
Especially with older kids, it’s so important to help them process their day and their emotions. You could have a set number of questions you ask each day to learn more about their day. It adds an element of familiarity and routine for your child if they can anticipate the questions later on in the day. Pro tip: Some kids might need time to decompress from the day before having this conversation.
Some examples:
“Tell me about something nice you did for someone else today”
“What was something someone else did for you today that was nice?” “How did that make you feel?”
“What was your favorite part of today?”
“What was your least favorite part of today?”
(Our family calls these our “happy” and “crappy”s of the day)
Pack the Night Before
Getting out the door in the mornings can be hectic so plan on packing backpacks and lunches the night before. Some mamas swear by setting out the kid’s clothes the night before as well. Find their shoes and socks and place them by the door. These 2 items have a notorious ability to disappear right as our family is walking out the door.
Let us know if you found these tips helpful in your back to school transition. We would also love to hear from you if you have any other tips we could share.
Remember you got this mama!
Article written by Carly
Carly and her husband are high school sweethearts and love their growing family. They have 2 siberian huskies and a two year old and new baby girl. Carly is passionate about encouraging women to have a positive and mindful birth experience after two joyous, unmedicated births. When she’s not a Birth Coach, she is a Flight Attendant. The family loves traveling, experiencing other cultures, hiking, music, cooking and volunteering in their community.