Divide and conquer
Before school is back in session, sit down as a family to figure out school start and release times as well as times of any extracirucular activities your kids are involved in. Compare calendars with your partner to figure out which duties each of you will be handling. Figure out which days you’ll each be responsible for the school carpool, various after-school activities and study groups. Decide who will be taking care of dinner . Sharing responsibilities with your man will help ease the stress of the back-to-school routine.
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Wake up call
A few weeks before school starts, start getting your kids back on the school year schedule. If you’ve been letting them stay up late and sleep in late, you’ll need to reset their clocks to ensure a smooth back-to-school transition. Remember, they’ll need a full night’s rest to be ready to tackle the school day head on.
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While we’re on the subject of waking up, you may need to set your alarm a few minutes earlier than usual to ensure you have enough time to get yourself ready for work and be available to help your kids get ready and fed before it’s time to head out the door.
Take shortcuts
Getting into the swing of the school routine may take a few weeks. Help ease the transition by making things as easy as possible. Prepare lunches the night before, plan on-the-go breakfasts your kids can munch in the car or on the bus on the way to class and have your kids set out their clothes the night before to eliminate last-minute chaos over what to wear come morning.
Give them a little free time
When your kids get home from class, give them a little break before starting them on their homework for the following day. After spending at least six hours in class, they need — and deserve — a refresher. Give your kids at least an hour after class to do what they enjoy so they can de-stress before hitting the books.
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More on the back-to-school routine
Getting into the school routine
Getting your children school ready
â¨6 Tips for getting your household ready for back to school