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We Love these 10 Back-to-School Tips and Traditions

Ahhh Back to School is finally happening! For most at least. We still have another week and half left of summer, but we are definitely prepping and preparing for the big school day! There are so many back-to-school outfit posts out there, and many I have done a few in the past. But honestly, my kids are getting older and each have a different style, and with my high school daughter…I have no idea what is even cool anymore! It’s a whole other style beast when it comes to high schoolers! So I thought it would be good to do a post on back to school tips and traditions that we consistently like to do year after year, regardless of child’s age!

Here are a few Back-to-School Tips and Traditions that you can honestly do anytime during the first few weeks of a new school year.

1. Create a time capsule that your child can’t open until the end of the year. Document your child’s height, weight, likes, dislikes, best friends, favorite food, what they want to be when they grow up, etc. Take a picture. Put everything in a mason jar and don’t open it until the end of the year. It so fun to see how much they have changed over the course of only 8 months. Then you will be able to cherish that information for many years!
2. Come up with a family motto for the school year to motivate and inspire. Display it somewhere and live by it! A few favorite family mottos–We can do hard things! Life is full of choices…choose wisely! Don’t let yourself down! Work hard. Play hard.
3. Create a daily schedule for your child like when to wake up and what to accomplish before heading off to school then what to tackle when coming home. The schedule could consist of daily chores, school lunch menu, after school activities, etc. This will help with an easy transition back into school and an easy daily flow.
4. The start of a new school year is a great time to sit down with your child and review emergency and safety protocols, emergency phone numbers, addresses, medical needs, etc. This is a great time to refresh and review!
5. Once you are in the first week of school, set up a time at the end of the week (we like to do it on Sundays) to have a weekly meeting with your family to review the activities for the upcoming week. This helps with keeping track of everyone’s schedule and commitments. Pick up a family calendar and hang it somewhere so everyone can see.
6. Set short-term goals for the school year and make priorities to make them happen. This will help your child stay focused and well-balanced during a busy school year.
7. If you haven’t already done so, establish a homework station. And if you do have one, go over it and clean it out and reorganize it. Make sure it is well stocked with paper, pencils, pens and markers. This year we established a charging station for my kids devices and it has already made such a difference in keeping everything organized.
8. Have a time everyday where you have a one-on-one moment with each child. It sounds like a lot during a crazy school day, but even if it’s chatting over dinner or right before bed. This will help children know they have a safe place to talk about their thoughts, discouragement, struggles and accomplishments.
9. Encourage your child to prep their school bags for the next day. Making sure their lunch is made (if they are old enough), packing up their homework and setting out their clothes for the next day are just a few ways to help make your child responsible and independent.
10. The last tip is send your child off to school each morning with love and affection! Tell them you love them, give them a kiss, show affection and give them words of affirmation or encouragement. Children face so many pressures at school. They need to know they are loved every day!