By: Mona Ismaeil

Tis the season of back to school shopping, scouring the stores for an enormous list of school supplies and attempting to get back into some sort of routine. For most, it has been about 6 months since their little ones were in school. With children at home and many parents trying to balance working from home and homeschooling their kids, important things such as routine may have been tossed out of the window.

Like any other year, there is always this period of chaos between summer vacation and the full-blown school schedule. It’s a period of time where children may not be sleeping or waking up as early, meals may not be at set times and there may be a bit more leniency when it comes to watching TV and screen time.

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With a few extra cards stacked against you this back to school season, I want to help you with some tips for what to do prior to school starting to make the transition that much easier.

1. Rise and Shine! It may not be time to get to school, but it is important for children to start waking up early prior to the first day of school. You may want to do this a few days before school starts. When you wake them up early, they will naturally need to sleep earlier.  This will help them get back into the school sleep routine.

2. Time to Eat! During school, children have set meal times. Normally, they would eat breakfast at home, then a snack at recess, lunch, then one more snack.  Try to make sure your children are eating at some sort of set meal times. This will ensure when they are back to school, their bodies have adjusted and they are not starving by first recess.

3. Pack it Up! Do you know that dreaded school supply list you have up on the fridge? Now is the time to get it done.  Do not wait until right before school. It will just add to your stress. Doing it ahead means you can go to multiple stores to make sure you get everything at the best price.

4. Purge! You may think your children have more than enough clothes for school but likely they haven’t put on too many sweaters or jackets throughout the summer. Go through their clothes and especially their shoes and make sure they actually have enough pieces that fit them. Take advantage of those Back to School Sales!

5. Review! It does not hurt to do a little review each day of basic concepts of math and reading. It’s probably been some time since you practiced addition or subtraction so go ahead and give them a couple of questions each day. Also, spend some time reviewing letter sounds, blending sounds, short words, spelling basic sight words, and reading at their level.

6. Stock Up! If you find those school snacks on sale stock up! We all know how many boxes of granola bars, fruit snacks, and goldfish we will go through. Keep your eyes peeled in the flyers for a great deal on school snacks. For something, you know you’ll be using a lot of between school, sports, and extracurricular activities you shouldn’t be buying in on a need only basis.

7. Plan! Take some time to outline the general schedule you’ll be following. Use a big family calendar, a planner, or your smartphone. Think about what time you need to wake up. What time should the kids be up? What will you be doing while they are at school? What time is pickup? What days have extra-curricular activities?  Are there other appointments that you need to remember?  Have a good plan will ensure that nothing is forgotten and that you do not feel rushed. You always know where you are going and when you have to leave to get there.

Back to school is always stressful and chaotic but with these tips, you will undoubtedly have a smoother transition into the school year!

Wishing all the students a wonderful year full of learning, growing, and so many great experiences.

About the Author

Mona Ismaeil: Mona Ismaeil is the Associate Editor Muslimmoms.ca.  She is a modest fashion blogger, writer, and community organizer.  Mona advocates for Muslim women and promotes their civic engagement, builds interfaith bridges, and is passionate about bringing awareness about Islamophobia to light in public forums. A trained teacher and seasoned educator, Mona lectures on a variety of subjects across the province, including Islamophobia, bullying, building acceptance, and multiculturalism. Her favourite things to do are to travel and spend time with her 2 children enjoying all Edmonton has to offer!