The Ultimate Back to School Guide

Summer is finally winding down and back to school season is kicking in! Some of your kids may have already traded in their swimsuits for backpacks and some may be just getting started…regardless of what the situation may be, we’ve got you covered. We all know that the start of the school year can be one of the most stressful, yet crucial, times for you and your children. It can be daunting to think about prepping for school, keeping your kids on track with homework, juggling chores around the house, and figuring out meals for the week all while continuing your own daily routine. Luckily, we have some pro tips and resources that will help to lighten the load and have you and your kids feeling confident about taking on this semester!

Setting Goals for the School Year

First and foremost, setting school year goals can be a fun and easy way to connect with your kids and help get them excited about what this year holds. Goal setting, in general, provides a multitude of benefits to your children that you’ve probably never thought of before. So, how do children benefit from goal setting?

It helps to improve one’s self-image
It helps to increase awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses
It provides an experience of success
It facilitates effective visualization
It encourages prioritization
It helps build responsibility for one’s self

When it comes to setting goals, it can be somewhat challenging to find the perfect in-between of pushing yourself while still being realistic. I mean think about it, how many New Year’s resolutions have you put on the back burner? So here’s the solution: assess your strengths and weaknesses and start setting SMART goals.

Specific: The goal states exactly what needs to be accomplished.
Measurable: The goal states the specific time of day, duration, or frequency of the task so your success can be measured.
Attainable: Don’t overshoot. You want to make sure your goals are realistic and focus on one facet of improvement.
Relevant: Is this goal fulfilling a genuine need?
Timely: There should be a specific deadline for achieving this goal.

Instead of stating “I want to do well in school this year”, break it down into smaller tasks with real numbers and real deadlines. Here are a few examples of how to turn your expectations into SMART goals:

Example 1: “Improve my grades” → “My goal is to spend one extra hour each week studying this semester in order to improve my grades by one letter grade in all courses” or “I plan to make at least a B on all homework assignments for the upcoming semester”.
Example 2: “Be more organized” → “On the first day of school I will organize my binder or folder by class to keep my papers organized and I will spend 30 minutes before bed getting my school supplies ready for class and planning what I will wear the next day”
Example 3: “Make the soccer team” → “I will spend 30 minutes each night after my homework practicing dribbling and shooting in the back yard with ____ in order to make the soccer team this year”
Example 4: “Learn to play the piano” → “I will spend 30 minutes each night after my homework practicing piano and set a goal of learning to play one song each week all the way through for my family”

Creating the Perfect Study Space

Once you’ve established your kid’s SMART goals for the school year, it’s time to focus on planning where your kids will get their best work done. Setting up an adequate study space is crucial for your children’s success, keeping them both focused and stimulated. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Make sure your designated study space is somewhere quiet and free from distractions; you want to be sure that your kids can stay focused and not prolong the time spent on homework
Make the space comfortable, but not too comfortable; set up a cushioned chair for them so they feel relaxed without being somewhere they can easily fall asleep, such as the living room couch
Light up the room; whether it be natural lighting or a mix of desk lamps and overhead lighting, make sure that the designated study space is bright enough for your kids to read and stay awake – no one enjoys squinting to see their textbook material
Stock up on supplies and keep them within reach; make sure you have writing and coloring utensils nearby along with any paper, scissors, rulers, tape, and so on. Be sure when your kids have a big project coming up that they have all necessary materials in advance so you don’t have to stress about picking them up at the last minute
Decorate, decorate, decorate; Help your child personalize their area with some of their favorite photos and artwork along with calendars and/or bulletin boards to keep them on task. Decorating your kids’ workspace can help make homework time a bit more enjoyable, and depending on what you put up, it could potentially inspire them when working on a project.

Developing a Weekly Routine

Now that the school year goals have been set and your kids’ study space has been organized, it’s time to put together a plan of action. Parents – take some time out of your weekend to help plan what your kids need to get done for the week, and yes, it is okay to delegate! You don’t need to stretch yourself thin worrying about what the kids are wearing to school or if they have all the necessary materials for class that day, these are things they are perfectly capable of doing themselves. All it takes is an extra 30 minutes of writing out a morning and after school routine and posting it up on the fridge or somewhere easily visible and accessible for your kids.

Creating a system where your kids can mark off what they have completed is essential to keeping them motivated and on task and, luckily, we’ve got you covered. Just click on the links below to download your own free printable routine templates. We recommend either printing a new one each week and planning a routine with your kids or laminating them for reuse if you’ve developed a routine that already works well. And here’s a quick pro-tip: stickers are everything.

Morning and After School Routine Templates