It’s been a few years since I had to plan for getting kids ready to go back to school, but nevertheless, the signs and conversations are all around us.  As we look at the long-term goal of school preparation, it seems that we can use the daily routine to help us instill acts of decision making, accountability, responsibility and independence no matter our child’s age. 

As I’ve worked with several 4-H events the last couple of weeks, it’s been so encouraging to see how confident many of these youth are, and I can’t wait to see where life takes them.  As you read the list below take time to see how these might be helpful in your home to set your children up for success.

Having a schedule to follow will make it easier for everyone to accomplish tasks and diminish distractions.

• Think about what to wear the night before and lay it out so that decision making in the morning is simple.  Don’t forget the shoes, socks and jacket if needed.  If the morning goes well, it sets the tone for the day.
• If bathroom is shared in the morning, talk about the schedule and how much time each person will have to keep the morning confusion to a minimum.
• Teach children to pack their own lunches by having items in the refrigerator, and cupboard already packaged and ready to grab.  For example if a bag of carrots or pretzels are purchased, put them into snack bags servings so they are ready to grab and go in the morning. Let them assist in meal preparation and clean up and having lunch items ready to pack in the morning.
• Make time for breakfast, it really is the most important meal of the day.  Plan to include at least 3 food groups with nutritious foods that will last through the morning as your child is busy learning.  For adults, we too are more productive on the job if we have a good breakfast.
• When homework is complete, pack up that backpack and have it ready beside the door to grab before leaving.  Learning that everything has a place will be a life skill that will be very beneficial in years to come.
• Get a good night’s sleep without electronics in the room for distractions.

If we really focus on the above items, we can start the school year off right, no matter what the age of your child .   Without some sort of routine we may find that hectic mornings lead to disruptions for the day and less optimism for school and learning.

When you’ve been away from your child for the day, it’s said the first few minutes of reunion are also most important.  Whether you are spending the day together or reconnecting, following are some points to consider to reinforce building a positive attitude and resilience in life, remember especially with young children, we are building habits for a lifetime.

• Before you pick your child up or meet them at home, spend the time thinking positive thoughts about each child.  Sometimes it’s easy to focus on the things they don’t do, try turning the tables to being grateful for them and the joy they bring to your life.  As your role changes from teacher to parent continue to focus on the positive and offer specific encouragement often.
• Give them a genuine compliment every day.  We often take for granted the contributions they make to life and saying “thank you” or reinforcing the positive behavior is a way for them to be recognized for the good things they do in our families
• When you tuck them in to bed at night, tell them about the good things that happened for the day.  The positive things you want them to remember are a great way to go to sleep and you will find, you can change behavior by focusing on the good things in life.
• Realize that each child needs time to relax and unwind just like you do.  Find time for family walks, outdoor games or just reading under the trees.  Spending time in nature is a natural stress reliever for everyone.
• Remember that we as parents all make mistakes and that it’s ok to admit to our kids when we mess up.  By admitting our mistakes, they will see that it is ok for them to “own” it when they make mistakes as well.

Use family time to talk about what’s going well and what’s not.  Let everyone voice their concerns and offer other options.  Then, make choices to see what changes might be needed.  Decision making, being organized, and looking for ways to solve problems are all life skills that begin at home. 

Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or hill.14@osu.edu
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This article was previously published in The Daily Record.