When summer is over
Every parent is different. They’re either are so dang excited their kids are heading back to school or they are in tears that summer is over. I’m always a little of both. I love summertime with my kids, but I also love routine. Here is how I get my own children ready to head back for a new school year.
We’ve swam, ate too much junk food, and stayed up entirely way too late, but it’s summer and for us is a time to relax and enjoy each other’s company without the constant homework, studying, and after school activities.
About 2 weeks before school begins, I start reeling in our routine to get these babies ready to return to the grind of normal life. Here are some easy steps to get them slowly prepared to return to school.
1. Time to start changing up that bedtime
I do my very best to keep the bedtimes the same throughout the summer as I do during the school year, but this year…I did not lol. There were times when we were at the beach over the summer that I was still looking at awake children at 11:30pm. Add that to July 4th fireworks, late night swimming at Nannie’s, and the amount of sugar I have allowed, and we have had a disaster of routines.
I have to work my kids back down to a normal bedtime slowly. Every day for the last 2 weeks of summer break, I pull the bedtime down by about 5 minutes. That way when the time comes that they have their normal 8/8:30/9 bedtimes, it doesn’t seem so early.
2. Same goes for wake up time
Now look, I love my sleep too. I really really do, but getting grumpy kids up in the morning is not my most favorite thing to do when they have slept late all summer. Keep in mind, late is this household is 7:30. My kids don’t sleep in.
But if your household is anything like mine, they seem to never get up early when it’s a school day huh? Oh heck no, it’s a dang struggle.
So, yes I’ll set me alarm on the last few weeks of school and get them slowly up.
Yes it sucks, but I’d rather do this than deal with a few weeks of torture.
3. Clothes on, teeth brushed, breakfast time
I would love to tell you that my kids got real clothes on everyday, didn’t eat ice-cream sometimes for breakfast, and didn’t play hours of electronics this summer…but I would be lying. As I type this they are all currently still in pjs and it’s 1:30 pm.
So as you can see, we have to have that pre-school game plan on. It’s the only way this family has survived. lol
Closer to when the school year comes back around, I have the kids start getting ready first thing in the morning.
4. Read, read, read
I have my kids read all summer long (I always have), but this is when we start incorporating it back into the night time routine as well. There is just something about freshly washed children in pjs, a good book, and willing ears. Does it happen every night? Of course not, but we’re heading in the right direction to begin our back to school schedule.
Print off your first day of school signs
It’s really adorable to look back on these images of the kids first starting a grade level and seeing how much they have grown. You can print yours off too in my free library.
You will need to password, but it’s super simple. Just enter in your email and the password is sent directly to your email. Easy peesy, lemon squeezy.
I hope your kids have an amazing new school year.
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