5 Back to School Tips for Parents of Elementary Students You Need to Know

Is your child headed to school this year for the first time? It can feel overwhelming to send your baby off to school. These back to school tips for parents of elementary students should help!

As I prepared for my two elementary school students to return to school this year, I couldn’t help but think back to when we were planning to send our baby to school for the first time.

Clarification… my son is eight-years-old… but still my little baby!

I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed! Anyway, every single parent I know feels the same way this time of year…

Will we send the right type of pencil?
How many notebooks does he need again?
His teacher said three-ring-binder… but how thick?
Markers or crayons?

Then… there’s the excitement felt by children!

The “hyperness” leads to behaviors (lots of them sometimes)…

Ah, back to school!!!

Anyway, I’ve learned many things over the years of being a parent AND teacher… here are five tips that make this time of year MUCH easier if your little one is going to elementary school (or homeschooled)…

5 Simple Back To School Tips

1. Create a routine and stick to it.

Spontaneity has its place, but elementary-aged children thrive when they know what to expect on a daily basis.

Set a reasonable bedtime. Get up early enough that everyone can eat, fully wake up, and work through any last-minute issues before school starts.

At the end of each day, establish a routine of checking backpacks (if you homeschool, do a quick family clean-up of the day’s activities), signing forms, and getting set up for the next day.

Even if your child is too young for homework, establish a family quiet time (15-30 minutes) before or after dinner.

Use this quiet time for activities such as;

Homework
Reading
Journaling
Any Other QUIET Activity

Check out our blog about the Surprising Benefits of Reading 20 Minutes a Day.

2. Get Organized

Spend a weekend stocking up on art and school supplies for your home.

Keep them in a central location (such as a milk crate, banker’s box, or large basket) where everyone has access.

Be a stickler about getting your kids to put things back.

If you spend a lot of time in the car with your children, stock your car with;

Healthy Snacks
Cooler For Drinks
Wipes
Paper Towels
Changes of Clothes

When you get home, have a place where shoes, coats, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. are kept when not in use. Check out these really nice ideas for Multi-Purpose Entryway Storage.

Getting organized is more than just a back to school tip for parents of elementary students. This will help with any grade level even preparing for college classes.

This saves time, money, and your sanity!

Check out all of these back to school essentials.

3. Trust Your Instincts

If you feel your child is struggling unreasonably with a subject or is having behavioral issues, don’t brush it off as a phase.

While it certainly might be a phase, it’s worth getting things checked early. If there is an issue, it can be addressed appropriately at home, in the school, and through the use of special education resources.

Start by talking to your child’s teacher and pediatrician. In many school districts, resources and available assistance are at an all-time low, due in large part to a lack of funding.

If this is the case in your local district, Special Needs Tutoring, may help pick up where your child’s school left off.

4. Start a Family Tradition

On the first day of school have a special, unusual breakfast, after-school snack, or dinner.

Take a picture that you can replicate each year to come.

Spread the fun – load up your wagon with fruit, bagels, and donuts to share with everyone at the bus stop or your carpool group.

5. Keep Things In Perspective

You’re going to have

good days…
great days…
even rotten days…

The same is true for your child!

The skills learned during the elementary years are important, but, there is not a college on the planet that will ask for these report cards.

Encourage your child without demanding too much. Remember, with elementary school kids, melt-downs can be a symptom of stress, the onset of an illness, or the result of a growth spurt.

If you can learn to recognize your child’s particular triggers, you’ll find it far easier to manage the rotten days.