Tips to make going back to school more bearable

The time has finally come. September is here, the toughest month for many children. The holidays and endless free time are coming to an end, and it's time to cover the textbooks, pack them in the backpack, and get up early for school. After more than two months of vacation, this creates hectic days for both parents and children. The little ones in the house are starting a new routine, and it's important to be prepared and leave nothing to chance.

These are very complicated days for our young students. They are overcome by a multitude of conflicting emotions: joy at beginning a new stage full of enriching projects, sadness at the end of summer, uncertainty about how they will accept the changes and how long it will take to get used to them. For this reason, today we bring you a series of tips that will help the little ones better adapt to returning to school.

Progressively change schedules

This is almost mandatory to help children return to school. During the summer months, children have had a completely different routine. They've gone to bed later, slept longer, and had completely different mealtimes. In the first few days of September, you have to start getting your body used to it so that the first day of school won't be difficult with having to get up early.

Physically, we must accustom our bodies to early mornings, school days, and intellectual exercise. We slowly move our children's bedtimes and wake-up times forward. In addition, the days are beginning to get shorter, which can help us move dinner, bath time, and the nighttime routine forward.

Prepare school supplies together

Before the school year begins, the overwhelming day of buying all the school supplies the children will need for the year begins. Pencil cases, planners, pencils, paints, and most importantly: books. This is a huge headache for parents, although they always have the option of using up what they have at home from the previous year.

When it comes to school supplies, it's a good idea to involve the little ones in back-to-school preparations. We can go with them to buy new school supplies, look at uniforms, choose backpacks, cover books together... This is a way for them to start a new phase of school they're about to begin. And it's always good to allow them a little treat, such as choosing their favorite planner, pencil case, or backpack, so they'll feel even more excited about starting school and using their new school supplies.

Another treat could be a technological device, as they spark a lot of interest in children. But it should also be useful during the school year. For example, a tablet to help them with their homework, which is increasingly computerized. SaveFamily tablets are the ideal device for children, as they are certified by Google and include the Google Classroom platform. They also feature a dual parental control system to ensure children don't browse websites with sensitive or delicate content.

Create a calendar

Once children have started school, it's a good idea for parents to help them establish a calendar with a schedule, especially when they get home in the afternoon. This way, we can ensure they have time throughout the week to do homework, attend private lessons or extracurricular activities, and have time for leisure.

When it comes to homework, it's recommended to do it this way. First, they should do homework for subjects that are of medium difficulty, as a warm-up before moving on to homework for subjects that are more difficult, such as math. After completing homework for these subjects, they'll be exhausted, so they can now work on homework for subjects of lower difficulty to begin to relax. And if it helps them concentrate, they can play relaxing music in the background. They can spend about an hour and a half on homework from Monday to Thursday, and start the weekend on Friday afternoon, as they'll be exhausted and looking forward to it.

And if you're having trouble finding time for leisure in the afternoon, you can always have an early dinner and set aside an hour before bed to watch your favorite cartoons or play a quiet game.

SaveFamily watches, specifically the Iconic Plus smartwatch, are an ideal accessory to help children create a calendar. They can do this through the watch itself thanks to the built-in calendar, learning the importance of organizing themselves to make time for responsibilities and leisure time.

Visit the school before classes start

This tip is especially useful for children starting the school year for the first time or at a new school. During the holidays, there are free hours, and it can be enriching to spend them visiting the school to familiarize yourself with the route. Whether they arrive on foot or need to drive, taking the route in the days before school starts can help both parents and children learn the best routes, know if there are any traffic problems, and have a better sense of location when traveling on the first day back to school.

If the school year begins at a new school, the adjustment may be more difficult. Explaining why the change is happening, always tailored to their level, will help them understand the changes. New classmates, interesting learning experiences, fun activities, new challenges... tell them all the positive things about this new stage and make it something they'll be excited about and curious about.

Once the school year has started, if they're old enough and the school is within a reasonable distance, they can start going to school on their own. With SaveFamily watches, parents won't have to worry as much, as they have a GPS tracker and a historical route that shows where the child has been, as well as a safe area that lets you know if the child leaves a designated area.

Spend time with your son or daughter

Although the first day can be complicated for parents due to work routines and obligations, it's essential to spend as much time as possible with their children. Parents are essential support figures, so it's a good idea to accompany them when they arrive and pick them up when they leave, at least for the first few days. You can also start the day together without rushing. It's very important to have breakfast together before school. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and essential for children to face the school day with energy.

You can set the table for breakfast the night before, and we can all get up a few minutes earlier to sit around the table and enjoy the first moment of the day and the first days of school.

Patience

Change creates uncertainty and anxiety in us, but the key is patience. At first, your child may be more withdrawn in social relationships or more shy than usual. As the feeling of security and control settles in, everything will go smoothly. If we appear fearful or insecure, we will unconsciously transmit that feeling to them. Creating positive expectations for the entire process will lead us to approach it this way, and best of all, we will help our children learn to see it that way.

These are some tips that can help you better adapt to returning to school. It's very important to make this new transition more comfortable for the little ones and do it gradually. Children are coming back from enjoying the heat, the beach, the pool, and friends, and their schedules and routines have completely changed. It's true that summer is ending, but an exciting period of challenges and learning that we can all enjoy begins.