The end of the holiday season and winter break is nearly upon us, which means you’ll need to get your child back into their regular school time routine! Your child has likely fallen into a new routine over these past few weeks of no school and may have difficulty getting back into the swing of their regular school-based schedule.
Here are 10 ways to help transition your child back to school after winter break and make the transition smoother for you and your family.
Waking Your Child Up At The Same Time For School
If your child has been sleeping in over winter break or waking up early, one way to transition them back into the school routine is to wake them up at the same time as you would to get ready for school. You can do this in the days leading up to them starting back from winter break!
Whatever your routine may be, whether that’s waiting for an alarm to go off, a light to change from red to green, or even you or another parent going into the child’s bedroom to wake them up, getting them back on their school schedule starts with waking up “on time.”
Prepare Your Child A Balanced Breakfast
There’s nothing wrong with having fun breakfasts during a holiday break, especially if it’s a family tradition. However, preparing your child a balanced breakfast that they would typically eat before school will help get them in the mindset of being back in a school routine.
This is another transition that could happen before your child’s winter break ends. Starting your child’s morning off with their entire school routine, even before the break ends, is a fantastic idea! This could include a balanced breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc.
Create A Visual Schedule For Going Back to School
Creating a visual schedule for your child the night before they head back to school is a great way to prepare them for the next day. You may already have materials to make a visual schedule, or you can always print pictures or write out each step.
This schedule could include your child’s morning routine, what a typical day looks like at school, any extracurricular activities they might have after school, and doing homework or other activities once they get home in the afternoon or evening.
New Year, New School Goals
It’s a brand new year, so you can make new school goals with your child! What would your child like to do in the last half of the school year? Maybe it’s getting better grades, reading more books, or joining a club.
Whatever their goals, being excited and supportive will only improve their mood about returning to school and keep their energy up in completing their goals as they continue through the last half of the school year!
Putting Your Child To Bed At The Same Time For School
Just like our first suggestion, putting your child to bed at the regular time you would on a school night is one other way to reinforce a school routine. During the holidays, it is normal for children to stay up a bit longer and play with siblings or other family members, but it is important that they return to their normal bedtime when school comes back around.
This can include your child’s entire bedtime routine, whatever that may look like. Whether that’s taking a bath, brushing their teeth, picking out their PJs, or reading books, ensuring that you’re getting them into bed at an appropriate time sets them up for a good night’s sleep!
Have A “Back To School” Celebration
Make your child’s first day back to school a celebration! They’re starting a new year and going back to see their friends and teachers; that’s a great thing. Maybe you plan a family game night after dinner, or maybe instead of cooking dinner, you go out to their favorite restaurant.
Whatever you choose, your child will be sure to feel special and loved going back to school after a couple of weeks of fun at home!
Make Sure to Validate Your Child’s Feelings
According to parents.com, no matter how your child is dealing with heading back to school, make sure that you, as their parent, are validating their feelings.
Making sure that you are available for your child to talk to at any point before and after returning to school is essential for them to feel safe and validated. This could be overlooked, but is a vital part of your child heading back into their school routine!
Is Your Child Caught Up on Their Homework?
Often, children forget they may have homework they were supposed to complete over winter break. This is an excellent way for your child to transition back into their school routine by completing their winter break homework if it isn’t finished!
Don’t wait until the night before to talk with your child about any outstanding assignments. Set good habits for them by asking early and ensuring they don’t feel rushed to complete their work!
Schedule One More Playdate Before School
Another transition moment that can happen before your child heads back to school is scheduling one last playdate with a friend. Having your child interact with their friends before returning to the classroom can help them feel more connected after winter break.
A playdate can also remind your child that returning to school can be fun! Seeing their friends and talking about school will help them get back into their home routine.
Stock Up On School Supplies
Just like shopping for school supplies when your child returns to school after summer break, you can do the same activity before they return for winter break! Maybe they need new markers, crayons, or even a new backpack.
Taking your child shopping to stock up on supplies before heading back after winter break is another way to get them out of the house and back in the mindset of heading off to school, especially with new supplies in their backpack.
