As we prepare for the first day of school, there have been so many different emotions. There is a mixture of excitement, anxiety, fear, and anticipation. As parents and kids process through these emotions, it is helpful to do a few things to help with preparing.
There is also a lot to do from the practical side of things. While this time of the year can be overwhelming, we can take some simple steps to help us thrive!
Make sure to grab the free printable to use with your kids!
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How to Prepare for the First Day of School
1. Take time to talk through the emotions with your kids.
Many times when kids are feeling strong emotions, they can process them in different ways. Some of my kids get quiet and some get louder with their emotions. Often we can be so busy with the physical prep that we forget about the emotional prep.
I really love these two books for elementary kids: Braver, Stronger, Smarter: A Girl’s Guide to Overcoming Worry & Anxiety and Strong and Smart: A Boy’s Guide to Building Healthy Emotions.
2. Create rhythms for your day.
You will want to have a morning, after-school, and evening rhythm to help things flow well. These are not going to be perfected and won’t mean you have crazy mornings or evenings. The crazy times will still come but these will give you a framework for you and your child to follow.
Morning Rhythm- If your child is new to school, consider doing a trial run morning so they can see what a school morning will look like. We try to do as much prep as possible the night before. The morning is when they focus on getting ready and breakfast. I pray over them and read our affirmations.
After-School Rhythm- This will vary depending on your schedule. Take time now to determine what the expectations will be for this time. Grab the afterschool conversation cards!
Evening Rhythm- This is a great time to prep lunches, book bags, and outfits for the next day.
3. Create landing zones in your home.
Having landing zones within your home helps eliminate clutter because everything has a home. With the school year kicking off, you need to think through landing zones for:
- Book bags
- Shoes
- Papers
- Lunchboxes
This is a great time to set up a command center for your home!
4. Do a brain dump.
You most likely have a million things on your mind as this is a busy time of the year. I always love doing a brain dump when I am feeling overwhelmed. After you get it all out on paper, make a list of the priority tasks. Grab this notepad to use for your lists!
5. Have grace with yourself and your kids.
The first couple of weeks of school are hard. It is exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally for everyone involved. There are going to be meltdowns. It is key to have grace with yourself and with your kids. Keep your evenings as empty as possible for the first couple of weeks so you can have downtime.
What are ways you prepare for the school year?
Make sure to grab your free printable of the affirmations. These are great to have to read to your child before school!
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