Summer is quickly coming to an end. The back-to-school store circulars have been out for weeks and we will soon have teacher assignments and class schedules in hand. While I want to make the most out of the summer we have left, I also know that it’s time to start transitioning into back-to-school mode. For me, this means:
Set Bed-Time/Early Wake-Up
This is probably the biggest transition that my kids need. This summer, my son and daughter didn’t go to camp so there was no need to set an alarm clock. This meant sleeping in and not getting dressed until 11 AM some mornings. We traveled a lot this summer and sometimes we were out until 10:30 PM. When we were home, bedtime was supposed to be 9:30 PM but that rarely, if ever, happened. So, one week before school starts, I implement our school bed times. This is currently 8:30 PM for both my 4th and 6th grader. My 11 year-old daughter fights me on this, but that’s a whole other story!
Buying School Supplies
My kids’ school supply lists have been online since June but I have only just started looking at them. It’s so much easier, and quicker, for me to take the lists and go buy everything. However, my kids love picking out their new school supplies, so I have to embrace it! Having a new book bag packed with supplies helps get them in a back-to-school frame of mind.
Closet and Drawer Clean Out
September usually has mild temperatures so the kids tend to wear shorts and t-shirts the first few weeks of school. I’m currently going through drawers and closets and seeing what, if anything, still fits from last fall. Then we’ll hit the mall to purchase any needed clothing items.
Meal-Planning
Laid back summers = relaxed dinners. There was no set summer dinner time and I wasn’t too concerned about making quick and easy meals. Back-to-school brings busy weeknights shuttling the kids from one activity to another. The slow cooker will be making an appearance again and my dinner focus will be on quick, easy, but still tasty meals! I’ve started bookmarking recipes online and scheduling them into a weekly meal plan so I’m ready for September.
How are you transitioning for back-to-school?
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