Oh sweet summer time…you were so good to us. But now it’s time to start a new chapter in our lives and send these twins off to PreK! I’ve been home with them for 3 1/2 years and, even though I have cherished every minute of it, it’s time we all have a bit of time away from each other.
The twins will be going to half-day PreK, five days a week. They are so excited for school to start! I tried to think ahead and prep them as much as possible for the big change in our schedule. While I’ve never sent kids to school before, I have welcomed hundreds of elementary school students one their first day of school. As this season is upon us I thought it would be nice to share some Back-To-School Prep with you all.
START YOUR NEW SCHEDULE ONE WEEK AHEAD OF TIME
This was the most difficult one for us. Since I stay home with them they basically go to bed late and wake up late, and it’s never really been an issue. Because they sleep a solid 12-14 hours every night they haven’t been taking naps for a long while. I knew waking up early wasn’t going to be easy for anyone, so I made plans to start waking them at 7:00am one week before school started. Because they were waking up early they definitely needed a nap, so that was part of our change too.
As the week went on the twins were easily getting into the routine of waking up on their own, before their 7:00am alarm even went off, and they expect naptime every day. Sometimes they nap, sometimes they don’t, but they always have to stay in their beds for two hours of rest time every day.
No matter how old your child is, getting them acclimated to their school routine one week ahead of time will help everyone. Don’t have a week until school starts? Start their school routine tomorrow! Don’t wait until the day of school to begin their new schedule.
DO SOMETHING SPECIAL
Once school begins it becomes more difficult to do spontaneous activities. Surprise your kids and have a declared “Funday”, or a fun few hours, with your child. This can be as big or small as you would like. Setting aside special time for your child is a great way to make your child feel loved and create beautiful memories.
On our last weekday before school started I declared a specific day to be “Funday”. I woke the kids up like they were going to school, like I mentioned above, and we set out for all things fun! We went to the Kentucky Science Center for play, The Old Spaghetti Factory for a special lunch, and ended at Build-A-Bear so they could make a new friend. This ended up being an all day event for us, but that doesn’t mean it has to be. Take a trip to the park, visit the local pool, go for hike with a scavenger hunt, or whatever activity your child would enjoy most. Even though our “Funday” was for the twins, it’s safe to say I enjoyed myself as much as they did! Memories last a lifetime!
DO A COUNTDOWN
It’s so fun to talk to your kids about how many days until school begins, but it can be difficult for them to understand time. A visual representation of those days make it easier to kids to see that school is getting closer and closer! I created a simple paper chain for the twins to take a link off each day. They are so excited about this and the excitement grows as the chain gets smaller and smaller!
SCHOOL SHOPPING
One of my fondest memories as a child was going school shopping. There’s something about getting new things that you wait to use until school starts that is just so special. Whether it be school supplies, clothes, or shoes, take your child with you to purchase all of these fun new things. They’ll get excited about getting new things and be reminded of how special the first day of school is. If you’re strapped for cash, shop smart! I remember going to consignment stores to shop for school clothes with my momma; she’s one smart lady.
I did a little shopping by myself to create the twins’ first day of school outfits. Caught Ya Lookin’ came in clutch to help me create the cutest outfits. I adore how traditional they are for the occasion and that they can wear them all throughout fall.
CHECK OUT THE NEW SCHOOL
If you have the opportunity, be sure to attend any type of Back-To-School Night your child’s school offers. This is a great chance for them to see their school, explore their classroom, and meet their teacher and new classmates they will have. If the child knows what to expect it will make the first day of school much easier on them.
If the school they are attending does not offer this, or you cannot attend a Back-To-School Night, make plans to at least go to the school for the child to see what it looks like and take some time to play on the playground. Anything they can see that will make it familiar to them later will help.
MAKE THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL SPECIAL
The first week of school is going to be rough on the twins. They’re going to love everything about school I’m sure, but the change in routine and schedule isn’t going to be easy. I plan to pick at least two days during the first week to go do something special once I pick them up from school. I’m thinking simple, like going to get lunch and ice cream or packing a lunch for the playground. This special time will also give them opportunity to tell me all about their day!
That’s a few things I’ve implemented this week, as it’s the week before school starts for us. Starting a new school year is special, no matter the age, and should be celebrated!
What are some of your back to school tips? What do you do to help ease back in to the school schedule?
Good luck to everyone and I hope you and your child have a fantastic school year!