4 ways to get your kids ready for school again

Before you know it, the school bell will be tolling the end of summer and sending kids back to school. With any luck your kids have been spending their sunny days living that carefree summer lifestyle, but that means it might be a bit of a shock when they need to focus on long division again. Help ease that transition by doing these four things to get them back in gear for fall.

1. Practice their routines

There’s nothing worse than realizing you need to be out the door in 5 minutes and you have no idea where your daughter’s left shoe is, and your son hasn’t brushed his teeth yet.

Save yourself the headache by practicing their routine at least a few days ahead of time. Make sure to practice everything in their routine like the driving route or the walk to the bus stop, special items they might need to take for extracurriculars, and even where they should put their backpack and important papers when they get home.

You can see how long it actually takes to get them out of bed, they can start adjusting from their summer sleeping hours, and you can take the opportunity to update your stock of household goods.

2. Get them the right gear

Of course no back-to-school season is complete without checking all the items off their supply lists. Whether it’s new notebooks and binders or pens, the right materials can help them start off on the right foot in class.

Also, considering how quickly kids grow, fall is a good time to double check their shoe sizes and other clothing items to make sure everything fits and is in good condition. And since they grow so fast, making sure you get cash back at your favorite retailers can help stretch your budget further.

3. Stock the pantry

One of the most important things you can do for young minds is make sure they’re fueled properly. That starts with a good breakfast and includes a hearty snack after school to help them make it to dinner time.

Make sure you have plenty of grab-and-go options to toss in their lunch box, or – even better – have them put together their own lunches to foster some independence and save you some time.

4. Establish a family meeting

A new school year brings all sorts of changes and challenges. Setting up a specific time for your family to regroup can help you stay on top of the chaos. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends family meetings. Meet weekly to go over the calendar and make sure everyone has a ride to everything going on that week, share what’s on the menu for dinner, and discuss any other family business.

Plus, you can use the time to set up your family’s rules and values going into the new year. You might want to set screen time limits, establish expectations about when homework will be done, and decide which chores the kids will be taking on. You can also take the time to check in on how your kids are feeling about their schoolwork and also how their social life is going.

No matter what your kids need this year, make sure to get cash back on all your back-to-school purchases with the Ibotta app.