Get Ready for School - 3 Essential Back to School Tips

It's hard to believe that summer is nearly over and school is about to begin. To eliminate stress and headaches during the first week of school, plan now to get ready for school.

Get Ready for School Tip #1 - Implement Back to School Schedule

The first week of the school year is not the time to implement the a new school year schedule. Help your kids get ready for school by implementing the new back to school schedule two weeks prior to the first day of school. If you have older children, discuss appropriate wake-up times for the school year to allow your child plenty of time to eat breakfast and out the door in time to catch the bus or car pool to school.

To help younger children get to sleep before the sun has officially set for the day, consider room darkening blinds or shades to help keep the daylight out. Get into a night time routine that includes reading a book before falling asleep.

Get Ready for School Tip #2 - Set Aside Homework Time and Place

Help your children get ready for school by setting up a special workspace for doing homework. Work with your children to set up a schedule and time that will work best for completing homework each night. Another way to help children get ready for school, is to use the time traditionally set aside for homework to read, play a family trivia game, work on some brain teasers, math worksheets, spelling quizzes or crossword puzzles.

A designated homework area will also help your children get ready for school. Design the homework space so it has easy access to a dictionary, pencils, erasers, rulers, paper and other appropriate supplies to help your child get ready for a great school year.

Get Ready for School Tip #3 - Purchase and Pack All School Supplies in Advance

No reason to wait until the last minute to get ready for school, purchase all school supplies in advance to avoid the rush and stress. Plan a shopping trip several weeks ahead of the first day of school and pick out all the school supplies. After purchasing the supplies, label and place in your child's backpack so they are ready to go when the first day of school arrives.

Help older kids get ready for school by helping them memorize their school schedule so they can help minimize the stress of navigating busy hallways on the first day of school.

Get this school year off on the right foot, by getting ready for school while the summer is still in full swing. With a back to school schedule and routine already established, your kids will be ready to hit the books and learn on the first day of class.