How to Transition Back to School Smoothly

Help your child feel prepared and confident to tackle whatever the school year brings with these tips for a successful start and transition back to school.

Wether you’re putting your child on the bus for the very first time or you’re a seasoned mom, those first weeks of school set the tone for the school year to come.

Be sure to read our other back to school tip and activities.

Set the Stage for School Success! How to Transition Back to School Smoothly

Let’s get into how we can make the first month back to school the best!

Plan well-balanced meals

We get kind of lax during the summer… and healthy, sit-down family meals often fall to the wayside.

However, nutrition plays an important role in overall development and countless studies show correlation between academic performance and good nutrition.

As the school year approaches, work at creating healthy menus.

If your family’s hectic schedule makes it difficult to get well-balanced meals in lunchboxes and on the dinner table through the week, allocate a portion of the weekend for a family prep session.

There’s no reason the whole family can’t play a part in getting good food on the table.

Reinstate bedtimes

Ease back into earlier bedtimes.

Going to bed earlier will make things smoother for everyone when the alarms start ringing on early school day mornings.

Well before the start of school, gradually back off more time each night – in 15-minute increments, for example – to get kids back in bed early enough to capture at least 10 hours of sleep, the amount recommended for school-aged children and adolescents by the National Institutes of Health.

Get creative to boost enthusiasm

Part of the fun of heading back to the classroom is a shiny new set of supplies.

I still remember the pencil box I got in 3rd grade – I was SO excited for something new and pretty.

Build your kids’ excitement by letting them select the tools they’ll use to bring home good grades, like pens and pencils.

Despite a keyboard and touchscreen-driven world, sales of color-focused products like felt-tip markers, porous (fine line) pens and colored pencils are on the rise.

My son absolutely covets his colored felt-tip markers.

In an effort to follow and respond to trends, Zebra Pen continues to introduce products that allow for personal expression, whether in the ink color chosen for notes or the barrel design to complement your kids’ style.

Transition Back to School: Explore outside of academics

During the transition back to schoo, developing interests outside the classroom builds confidence and character, teaches discipline and may help reveal hidden passions or talents that translate into future scholarships or career choices.

Now is an ideal time to explore the options available in your community and complete necessary registrations as many extra-curricular activities are closely linked to the traditional school calendar.

We actually found an improv class for one of my sons… we had no idea if he would like it.

But boy has he flourished! It’s a terrific activity that lets him express himself.

Follow the paper trail

The volume of paperwork associated with sending a child to school can be overwhelming.

From registration forms and emergency contact sheets to physicals and immunization records, the list goes on and on.

Keep on track with a list of all the materials you’re responsible for completing, along with special notes for those that require visits to the doctor’s office or other appointments.

Take a tour

Especially for new students, but even for experienced kids, spend some time getting familiar with the school before the big day.

Seeing the bus drop-off location, classroom, bathrooms, cafeteria and any other major features ahead of time can help soothe jitters and lets you proactively answer worries or questions about how those first days may unfold.

Establish a transition tradition

Celebrate the end of summer and the fresh start ahead by creating a special family tradition.

It may be a final backyard campout for the season or a scrapbooking project that captures memories from the summer and describes goals for the school year.

The time together to talk about what lies ahead can help get the family geared up for a successful school year.

Express Personality with Style

Encouraging your child to develop his or her own unique personality can be tough with social “rules” and official policies that determine dress code, supplies and more.

When you get down to it, though, there are dozens of ways to let kids explore personal expression without breaking any rules or subjecting them to unwanted attention.

Accessories

Even at schools with uniforms or dress codes, there is some latitude when it comes to accessorizing.

Dress codes vary, but many allow flexibility in things such as socks, shoes, hair bows and jewelry.

School supplies

Let kids choose their own writing implements as a personal statement of self-expression, which is especially important to middle and high school students.

With so many options, it’s easy to bypass the basic bargain selection and choose from an array of new designs and creative features, such as those offered by Zebra Pen.

Personal space

For younger students, the area designated as a student’s own may be limited to a backpack or storage cubby.

For older kids, there’s an entire locker to consider.

During the transition back to school, customizing these personal areas lets kids assert a clear stamp of individuality.

Photos, artwork and treasured mementoes bring these personal spaces to life.

Read these Back to School Books to get your student (and yourself) ready for school!