Back to School Parenting: How We’re Planning to Stay Sane
Okay, okay, staying sane might be a lofty goal for back to school, but a girl can try! I love fall and back to school as a reset for myself and my little family. It’s the perfect time to rething our routines, expectations, and how we roll as a family. The trees are changing, so can we! To start off on the right foot as we head into fall, these are 5 goals I’m planning to implement with my family. I have big dreams of having a family meeting to discuss what these goals look like and how we can meet them!
After School Reset
anyone else always drowing in backpacks, lunchboxes, and papers in the car? mudroom? kitchen counter? under the couch? This year I am determined to do a quick after school reset that looks like this: bring in bags from car, give mom important papers, set aside homework in an agreed upon spot, and put bags/shoes/coats away in mudroom lockers. This quick, simple expectation will help minimize the after-school sensory overload for me.
Play Hooky Coupon
we all know there is going to be a day where our kids are extra tired and need to take a day to chill. Enter, the play hooky coupon. This is a ONE TIME USE get out of school or activity free coupon. It’s your child’s responsibility to use it and when it’s gone it’s gone! I saw this one of Instagram and I loved that it gets ahead of that inevitable conversation.
Homework Huddle
if we make it sports themed, maybe Graham with love it?! A girl can dream. Before school starts I plan to discuss a time with Graham that he will complete this homework. This can be right after school, before or after sports, or before or after dinner. Hopefully, we can knock out homework at the same time each night to take the negotiations out of this time.
Early Bedtimes
we really went YOLO this summer and pushed bedtime later and later. This made for some fun summer memories, but we definitely have some tired kiddos! For back to school, we are going to go for a strict 7:30pm start to bedtime with an 8pm lights out. We gotta set ourselves up for success!!
Family Fun Night
as a thank you for following of these expectations, we are planning to do a Family Fun Night at least once a month that is planned by the kids! This can be a family game night, pizza night, dinner out, play dates, you name it! We will plan an activity with the kisd and let them invite a friend or another family for extra fun for every body.