Making the Back-to-School Transition Easier

Every mom I have spoken with in the last week or two has expressed that they are "not ready" for summer to end. Neither am I!

Gone will be the "lazy" days of summer -- staying up late, sleeping in, easier schedules, warm weather and pool time with friends.

When school starts, it feels like the crazy starts. Driving kids to school, driving to activities, helping in the classroom, helping with homework, and just entirely too much to do. 

Since we all seem to be having trouble accepting reality, I thought I'd share a few tips for how to ease the back-to-school transition. 

1. Always. Be. Positive. If your children complain about going back to school, try to express understanding, but then point out something positive about being back at school, like seeing their friends again.

2. Try to get the bed time routine moving closer to a school bed time about one or two weeks before school starts to ease the adjustment.

3. Find some way to make early mornings more enjoyable for your family. For example, I like to put on some jazz music in the kitchen during breakfast to help keep the energy calm and soothing. Maybe your family needs some dance music or reggae music? Music is a natural anti-depressant.

4. Try to get outside and enjoy the weather after school each day. Simply being outside for a while will elevate everyone's endorphins and make them feel happier.

5. Try to spend some time snuggling with each child as you put them to bed -- some experts say this is the most valuable time of the day to spend with your kids. They tend to open up more and share about their day when things are calm at night.

Most importantly, keep in mind everyone in the family is going through this transition -- so allow for some extra grace when someone is crabby or out of sorts.