Carrie Parsons
91.3 KGLY Early Afternoons

When I was a kid I loved everything about going back to school: shopping for new clothes, gathering school supplies, meeting the teacher, reconnecting with friends. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would dread the start of a new school year.

On the KVNE Morning Show, we get lots of calls from kids who share their excitement and sometimes their anxiousness when it comes to school.

Andrea said she was nervous about starting the 7th grade. She called to share that a song on our station calmed her fears and helped her through it. We are so very thankful for that! So, listening to music that encourages and points us to Jesus can be helpful. Check. Now how about some other tips on a better school year for your kids?

Focus on the Family asked parents for their most successful back-to-school strategies. Hopefully these tips will cause the back-to-school season to be a bit less hectic for you and perhaps a little more enjoyable for your kids.

10 Easy Ideas for Going Back to School

1. Use paper chains to count down to the first day of school

For four years, my youngest had watched his older siblings make paper loop chains to count down to the first day of school. Each night at bedtime, they got to tear off one loop. When my youngest was ready for kindergarten, he wanted to start counting down before the other two kids even got out of school the previous spring. I think the chain that year had more than 100 loops on it. Then slowly, night by night, he made it to zero loops the evening before his first day of kindergarten.

—Erin Harris

2. Familiarize your child with the school building

Starting middle school was scary for my daughter. Of course we talked about changing classes, more homework, the PE locker room and increased peer pressure, but we also visited the school several times during the summer. One time, I arranged for a private tour with a teacher. We also drove by it as often as possible so she would become familiar with it. The transition was still challenging, but I know it would have been much more stressful without all our preparation before the first day.

—Rachael Moshman

3. Plan end-of-summer get-togethers with friends and family

So many priorities compete for my family’s attention: school supply purchases, new bedtime routines and school clothes shopping. All are important, but there is one end-of-summer routine we are more purposeful about: The kids and I make a list of close friends and family and then plan get-togethers with them before school is back in session. From visiting grandparents and cousins to spending time with friends and neighbors, our get-togethers vary from a meal to a game night to a day at a nearby river. Doing this alerts our kids that we are saying goodbye to summer.

—Chelsea Strom

4. Commission each student

The week before school begins, my husband and I say a commissioning prayer over our three children. We remind them that God has called them to be missionaries in their school by being good examples of love, compassion and attentiveness to their teachers and classmates. On the way to school, I pray for them to be good ambassadors of Christ on their mission field.

5. Anticipate what will be learned in the coming year

My kids were home-schooled, and most of our curriculum was ordered online. I made a point of allowing each child a few choices in the selection process. Then we made a big production of “unwrapping” the new materials at summer’s end. It was a fun way to start into the school year.

—Cecilia Lynne

6. Help kids rely on God’s Word

Before my son, Barry, started seventh grade, we asked him to choose one verse that he could read every night before bed and another verse to read every morning before school. For his shyness, he chose to read Isaiah 41:13 in the morning: “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’ ” For his worry and doubt, he chose James 4:7 as his evening verse: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

—Julie Dibble

7. Find a wake-up routine that works for your family

When our oldest daughter started kindergarten, we had to figure out the best way to get our little sleepyhead to wake up. After many frustrating mornings, we set our alarm for a half-hour before we had to start getting ready. When it rang, my husband would carry her from her bed into ours. We’d spend that half-hour snuggling while talking quietly or reading together. Then we all got up together. As her younger siblings have reached school age, they’ve joined the tradition.

—Beth Alsmeyer

8. Include morning devotions with breakfast

When I realized my children needed help with the discipline of daily devotions, I made room for it in our morning routine. While my middle schoolers ate breakfast, I read the day’s Bible passage and message, and we discussed it. Once they headed off to school, I did the same for my elementary school daughter but with a different, more age-appropriate devotional.

—Kim Leane

9. Give kids downtime before bedtime

The one thing that helped my children transition to an earlier bedtime for the school year was creating more downtime in the evening. This included encouraging the boys to prepare for the next day, such as choosing an outfit and talking about a school-related activity they were looking forward to. By doing a few of these little things, we found that the boys were not only physically ready to sleep but also excited to go to bed with a clear idea of what tomorrow would bring.

—Courtney Roberts

10. A visual to help children understand the new routine

When my kids were still young and couldn’t yet tell time, I put stickers on the clock to help remind them of our after-school routine.

—Tami Farmer

Original Source: Focus on the Family

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