5 Parenting Tips To Start The School Year Well

I walked into Walmart the other day and saw one of my favorite sights: school supplies. I love seeing new pens, notebooks, and the plethora of backpacks and lunchboxes. Growing up, I could not wait to get my school supply list to get ready for school.

Some of you may be thinking, “where did summer go?” Some of you may be thinking, “oh thank goodness, send the kids back to school!” Whatever your thoughts may be, summer is coming to a close, and a new school year is about to begin.

A new school year often brings the same feelings as the start of a new year in January. Whether you are a parent or student, you may be setting new goals, hopes, and dreams for this upcoming year. There are new schedules and routines to implement too.

As you turn your attention to this new school year, let me encourage you to prioritize your own health, your child’s health, or your marriage. This is a great time to begin a new routine. As you craft your schedule, why not include a weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly check in with a counselor?

Prioritizing mental, emotional, or relational wellness may not be as popular as buying new pencils, outfits, or attending back to school nights, but it is just as important to the overall functioning and well-being to you, your kids, and your other relationships!

Take Inventory

We often repeat the same patterns or make the same mistakes not because we intend to, but because we do not take the time to reflect, evaluate, and trouble shoot. Start small: set aside an hour one night and bring your spouse into the conversation.

What worked well this past school year?

Ex: Joining a carpool so you picked kids up two days a week rather than every day.

What did not work well this past school year?

Ex: Having too many after school activities and no quality family time

What is one thing you want to try this school year?

Ex: Having a family devotional

Give Your Kids Developmentally Appropriate Tasks

Kids are capable of far more than we realize or give them credit for. You are giving them the opportunity to take responsibility and a sense of accomplishment by entrusting them with tasks or chores. If your job as a parent is to help prepare your child launch into the world, what are you doing right now to set them up for success? Maybe you put them in charge of their own laundry. My friend David and his siblings were each given a night of the week starting when they were 13 to cook dinner. They were given guidelines like the meal must include protein, a carb, and something green. With his years of practice at his house, David is an excellent cook and knows how to pull a meal together.

Decide Once

I first learned about this principle from The Lazy Genius. Essentially, you make a decision once so you can use your brain for other tasks or more pressing needs. Kendra, The Lazy Genius, has a Monday uniform so she never has to decide what she’s wearing to work on Mondays. Maybe you declare Friday night as pizza night—you have decided once and every Friday you know that pizza is on the menu. In my family, Wednesday nights were known as leftover nights. No need to badger Mom about what’s for dinner on Wednesday—whatever is in the fridge or freezer!

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

When in doubt, communicate. Many frustrations, arguments, and headaches would disappear if we all communicated more. It is important for you to communicate with your child whether that is your expectations regarding school or what this week’s schedule looks like. Children do better with structure and a schedule, so help them by talking about what the week looks like, who’s picking them up from soccer practice, and what chores they have. If plans change, tell them that too. This tip is also just as important for your spouse. If you are going to parent as a team and united front, you both need to be on the same page, and that starts with—you guessed it, communication.

 Schedule Fun and Time Together

Some kids love school, some kids hate school. Regardless, your kids need fun implemented into their schedules. Your kids need to have fun with you, and you need to have fun with your kids. There are so many pressures on them from social media, peers, achieving good grades, making the team, or winning the solo. The list goes on and on. These years go by quickly. Let fun be just as important on your calendar as any other activity.