Surviving Back to School in Your New Home

Moving into a new home this time of year means extra planning for the school year. As you unpack your boxes and get settled, don’t let the warm weather distract you from the season ahead. Set your kids up for a successful school year by creating a smooth transition. Use the tips we’ve provided below to get your new house and your kids ready for the new school year!

1. Designate a cupboard for lunch boxes

An easy way to get your kids prepared for the year is to pick an easily accessible cupboard to store their lunch boxes. By designating this area for their lunch boxes, it also allows your children the opportunity to become active helpers each day when you’re packing their lunch. Plus, they’ll know where to put their lunch boxes each afternoon they come home from school. Bonus!

2. Create a filing system for their papers

It seems that every year, kids bring home more and more paperwork. As you set up your house, create a simple filing system to store all of these papers. Each day your kids come home, have them empty their folders and put the papers in their files. Then, you won’t lose all of those precious field trips sign-ups and class volunteers slips.

3. Give each child a hook by the front door

If your home doesn’t come with lockers and cubbies, create your own front door organization. Hang some simple hooks for your child to hang their coat and back pack on. Encourage your child to put their bag there each night so that you aren’t wasting time searching the house for it each morning.

4. Create a morning schedule and hang it on the fridge

Help your kids stay on task each morning by creating a “morning schedule”. Then, hang the schedule on the fridge where they can easily see it. Find images and icons of the tasks your child is responsible for each morning and put these images in the order your child should accomplish each task. Your list might include images of kids brushing their teeth, combing their hair, packing their bags, eating cereal, putting on their shoes etc.

5. Do a practice run

Some kids have a harder time adjusting to moving in the onset of school. To help your child prepare for their new morning routine in their home, you might want to take some time the night before school starts and do a practice run. Show them where their back pack hangs, where their lunch box is kept, where their morning routine list is. This will give your kids time to ask any questions they might have and relieve some of their anxieties. Remember, this is all new to them, so they might be a little confused.

Are you moving into a new home before school starts? What tips and tricks do you have? Let us know in the comments below, please!