UNION, Mo. – We know returning to school after a fun-filled summer break can be hard for kids and parents alike. Making appropriate preparations for back-to-school time can reduce stress for you and your family.

Tips to ease your child’s transition back to school

Reestablish routine. Resume school-year routines a week or two before the start of the new school year. These routines might include:

• Wake up and bedtimes.
• Breakfast.
• Completing homework.
• Preparing outfits and meals for the next school day the night before.
• Regulating screen time.

Make a checklist of tasks and responsibilities to help keep your child on track before and after the school day.

Talk to your child about their thoughts and feelings around returning to school. Validate their feelings and help them work through them. There can be a lot of nerves and excitement around starting a new school year.

Arrange a playdate between your child and a friend from school before the first day. This can help improve a child’s emotional and academic adjustment.

Be prepared. Shopping for or organizing school supplies can help children feel a sense of control over the new situation and feel ready.

Do a test run. Take advantage of the school open house to make sure your child can find their classroom and identify their teacher.

Build excitement. For younger students, reading books with characters going back to school can help them get excited about school. For older students, ask them about what classes they are looking forward to the most or which extracurricular activities they are interested in for the upcoming year.

Set realistic priorities for school and extracurricular activities. Creating a manageable schedule can greatly reduce stress before and during the school year.

Make a menu for school lunches and after-school snacks. This can help encourage healthy eating and make parents and guardians feel more prepared for the week ahead.

Adapted from 5 Tips To Ease Back-To-School Anxiety (John Hopkins Medicine),  Managing Back-To-School Stress (The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds), Coping With Back-To-School Anxiety (University of Florida Extension), Q&A: Easy Ways To Help K-12 Students Transition Back to School (University of Kentucky), Back-To-School Transition Tips for Parents and Kids (PBS).