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Are you getting ready for school in the mornings and still able to keep up your Aloha spirit? The struggle is real! Below are few tips and tricks on how to set up your back to school routines.
Good structure and support are essential to smooth out the back to school experience. Consider hiring an after-school nanny which can be a great help for your family during this school year:
Communication & Support: talk to your kids about their feelings and let them know that it’s absolutely normal to be nervous about starting the school. Let them know that everyone having hard time getting back to routines at the beginning of the year. Share your own positive examples to inspire them!
It’s All About Routines: morning routines are essential. Discuss in advance with your kid all the morning activities and expectations. Kids feel safer when they have structure and this way they are more positive about what’s going to happen. It’s also can be helpful to provide your keiki with simple visual well-structured steps of their routines during the day which are easy to follow.
Plan Ahead: Prepare lunches, clothing, school bags, books the night before to avoid morning marathon so you can enjoy some morning coffee instead. Talk to your kid about the next day activities (pick up time, appointments they have after school, etc). Preparing them for next day will make things easier for the entire family. Small things make a difference - you can wake up just 10 minutes earlier to cuddle, stretch, talk, laugh so you start the day with the positive vibes.
Meals Planning: healthy meals are important for brain and body. Plan ahead and keep the breakfast simple but healthy (bowl of oatmeal with fruits are great, yoghurt, etc), you can leave more complicated things like pancakes for the weekend. Make sure you pack the lunch box a night before!
Homework: daily homework just after the long holiday break can be very challenging. Keep your keiki motivated! Offer them to go to the beach or do some fun activities as soon as the homework is ready. Remember to take short breaks with fun games in between to reset their energy and focus.
Plan Back to School Outfits to Avoid Morning Crisis: encourage your child to think what would they like to wear during the week. Prepare the outfits and hair accessories a night before to avoid any morning tantrums.
Always Find Some Time for Play: After sitting all the day at the desk in school make sure there is time for your keiki to play and unwind! Go to the beach, park, swim or on a bike ride. Keeping them active in the afternoon will make them ready for bed earlier.
Bedtime: A good day starts with good night sleep. Bedtime is actually one of the hardest transitions especially after summer when kids may be used to going to bed or waking up later than usual. Decide what time your keiki have to go to bed. Start preparing to sleep at least one hour before the sleep time (preparing their clothes for the next day, taking bath, brushing teeth and putting on their pijamas to settle them down). Good routine habits is a key for future success.
Keep the same routine each night. Use evening time as an opportunity to have a bit of one-on-one time with your child, read some bedtime stories, reflect on how the day went and go through the activities for tomorrow. You might like your keiki to start getting ready for the bed around 7:30 pm if you have to leave for school by 7:30 am. It’s also helps if you leave the shades open to give your body an extra motivation to get up early in the morning. Prepare a morning playlist with kids favorite songs to kick off the morning!
Lead by Example: No matter what you say to your kids the personal example matters. Keep your standards high as you are a role model for them.
Delegate: assign some of the responsibilities like setting up the table, preparing the lunch boxes, etc. to your kids. They would feel useful and motivated. You can even appoint a morning leader!
Last but not least consider hiring before- and after- school nanny to assist you so you can focus on quality time with your family instead! After school nanny can pick your kids up from school and get them home safely, help with snacks, lunches and even dinner, plan their after school activities, take them for their sports and help with homework and even put your kids into bed and read a story. Feel feel to contact us and we’ll help you finding the right match!
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