Okay, so I know many schools are already back in session, but my kids go back to school after Labor Day - like the ol' days' schedule, traditional style. Going back-to-school will be a tough transition for us.We have been eating breakfast late, brushing teeth only sometimes in the morning, going to the beach before dinner, sitting down for the last meal of the day between 7-8pm, and getting the boys to bed even later.
How are we going to get ourselves out of these bad habits so that we can all be ready in the mornings for school, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed , and backpacks ready? How are we going to be disciplined for the after school homework and extra curricular events such as soccer practices and drama classes? How am I going to get myself together to have dinner on the table at a reasonable hour such as at 6pm so the boys can get to bed at an even more reasonable time?
Today, we started getting ready for the transition. We should have started two weeks earlier, but we didn't. This list is what we are doing to get our family ready for the school session:
1. Wake the kids up. Start waking the boys up at the time they will have to get up during school days. Have them get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and be ready by the time we will need to be getting in the car during the week.
2. Start doing "homework." Over the summer the boys have been sporadically been working on their workbooks, but this week they will be doing a page of it every day to get in practice of the discipline of homework and to stimulate their minds.
3. Eating dinner on time. I need to plan ingredients and set a menu so that I will be prepared to make dinner after work instead of running off to the market everyday, wasting precious daily time.
4. Adjust bedtime. Since the boys were getting up late and being active until late in the day, they were out of practice watching the time and getting to bed at a reasonable hour. We adjusted their bedtime to what it would be during the school days and stopped doing late night events even though the sun was still up.
The transition from the leisure summer days to the discipline of the school time schedule can be difficult. What are you doing to prepare your kid(s) and your family for that transition into school? If your children are already back, how did your transition go and what do you wish you did differently to help prepare for the school days?
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We don't start school until the middle of next week. I have also been watching bed time more closely and waking Autumn up earlier and earlier every morning. But the biggest problem seems to be getting myself up!
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't have to think about this stuff yet, but this sounds like a reasonable schedule to me. Aiden starts preschool again next week so we have to do some slight adjusting as well. Thanks for helping me think of these kind of things!
ReplyDeleteMy boys are so fortunate to have you as thier mom. I know they have no true appreciation at this stage in their lives, but I sure see it. Thank you. I know it's a little off topic, but sometimes your spouse needs a public compliment.
ReplyDeleteSharon, Good topic! We did start "trying" to get Claire to bed earlier a couple weeks ago but nothing prepared us for school starting earlier and the bus coming 35 min. earlier than the 2 previous years! We didn't find these tidbits of knowledge out until last Wed.! Aarrgh! So...it was hard enough getting up to be at the bus by 7:50am - now we have to be there by 7:15am. Factor in that we have a fairly new puppy that has needs in the morning and it's been fairly crazy this week :-) However, we are doing better than I thought we would and if I could just get some sleep at night (peri-menopause sucks!) then all would be good! And like you, Sharon, I am striving to have dinner on the table between 5:30 and 6:00pm each school night so we have a bit of time to breath and catch up after dinner. And to answer your question about what I would do differently - well, we did not know school was starting a week earlier than normal when we planned a long weekend out of town (late last spring). So...we got back into town at 7:15pm the night before school. It just made things way too crazy and I would not do it again. In fact, I'd likely cancel our previously made plans if it were to happen again. On a brighter note, Claire told me it was her "best 1st day of school EVER!". There you have it :-)
ReplyDeleteI'll try to remember this for when I have kids :) I thought of a topic for you...I think you should put together a list of the dinners you make for your family: healthy, cost effective, easy dinner menus for people who dont like to cook. I would like to know how you do it because I know you are like me.
ReplyDeleteSharon - You seem to have a great game plan preparing for the school year! I hope this will help with your transition next week. You go girl!
ReplyDeleteSo, the intentions were there, but I still made dinner too late and the boys got to bed later than intended, but earlier than before. Next week will be a challenge, but the boys can't wait and my husband and I are very ready too! Boys are bored and we don't have to pay for anymore summer camps! Yeah!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments! @Jerilyn I hear your woes about trying to get up ourselves, @SuziF I can't believe they moved up school start date and times on short notice, and @Jessika I will take your advice and next week I will give you my first week of school dinner menu! Hope you enjoy. Have a great Labor day weekend!
ReplyDeleteThis is so true! Kids follow our lead for schedules (start-times and end-times for the day)
ReplyDeleteGood job! I'm taking notes! :)
I also would love some new recipes! :) Please share!