Making the Back-to-School Transition Easy

(Family Features) It’s time to get your household organized for another school year and all that comes with it.

Whether your child is headed off to kindergarten or going away to college, these useful tips can help make the transition back to the regimented school year easier and get your busy household organized for the upcoming season.

Kindergarten

• Tour the school. It is important to visit the school with your kids so they can get familiar with their new environment.
• Meet the teacher. Introduce yourself to your child’s teacher and discuss the best ways to communicate with him or her throughout the school year. Some teachers prefer to keep the conversation going through email while others are more casual and utilize phone calls or in-person meetings.

Elementary School

• Get into a routine. Set your kids’ sleep schedules back to “school time” at least two weeks before the first day.
• Get your kids involved in sports or other activities they can do after school to keep them active. An option like ‘all Free & Clear Liquid Detergent can help you remove stains while still being gentle on skin.

Middle and High School

• Have a conversation about technology. In this day and age, it’s nearly impossible to avoid tech. Many students probably have schoolwork that requires use of the internet. It’s important to have a conversation with your children about reducing time spent on their laptops to educational purposes during the week.
• Keep track of everyone’s schedule. There are plenty of free family calendar applications available for smartphones and other devices that can help you keep up with all members of the family and stay organized.

College

• Simplify the laundry routine. When it’s your child’s first time living on his or her own, you’ll want to do everything you can to make things easier. Consider detergent pacs like ‘all Free & Clear Mighty Pacs Laundry Detergent, which fights tough stains while also being dye- and perfume-free, hypoallergenic and gentle on skin.

By implementing some of these simple tips, you and your kids can look and feel your best, setting up a seamless, stress-free transition back to the school year. Find more information at all-laundry.com.

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5 Tips to Aid Performance in the Classroom

(Family Features) With all the stress of a new school year, it can be difficult for students to readjust to a healthy routine, but many experts agree that sleep is among the most important parts of that routine. Numerous studies demonstrate that children who sleep better learn better.

While you're busy shopping for pencils, book bags and notebooks, remember that a good night's sleep should also be at the top of your list this season. Make the transition easier with these five tips from Dr. Sujay Kansagra, director of Duke University’s Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program and a sleep health consultant for Mattress Firm:

Ease into earlier bedtimes. For many children, the sudden shift to an earlier bedtime and wake-up call can pose a big challenge. Children who were accustomed to falling asleep later at night during the summer will have to slowly adjust their body clocks to move bedtime earlier during the school year. To ease children into the earlier sleep schedule, start moving bedtimes earlier by 10-15 minutes each night until reaching your end goal.

Ensure a comfortable sleeping environment. Pay attention to factors like lighting and noise. It may be necessary, especially early in the school year when the days are still long, to add blackout curtains to help block bright light. If noise is a factor, consider adding some soft background music or a sound machine to serve as a buffer so other noises are less intrusive.

Be sure the bed is up to the task. Another environmental consideration is the bed itself. Mattresses are not always top-of-mind as you consider back-to-school shopping, but when sleep can have such an impact on your child's educational performance, the right mattress can help ensure students are getting quality zzz’s at the start of a new school year.

Avoid bright light prior to bedtime. Aside from your window, there are also other sources of light that can affect sleep. Several studies have shown that excess screen time just before bed can have a negative impact on the brain’s ability to transition into sleep mode. Try curbing screen time well before bedtime, or if your child must use screens, engage the night-reading feature, which alters the hue of the light for less impact.

Develop a consistent nighttime routine. A routine performed 20-30 minutes prior to bed every night can subconsciously ease children’s brains into sleep. A ritual that involves bathing, brushing teeth, talking about the day’s events, discussing what’s ahead for tomorrow and quiet time with a book are all ways to unwind together and slow down those active minds for a transition toward a peaceful night’s rest.

Remember that sleep is vital for memory retention and cognitive performance. Without it, children may experience behavioral problems and other difficulties in school. Find more resources to help improve your kids’ sleep, including tips on how to purchase a new mattress, at DailyDoze.com.

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5 Tips for a Smooth Back-to-School Transition

(Family Features) Just when it seems like you have gotten into your summer groove, it’s time to get back into your school routine, which can be cause both relief and stress at the same time for parents and students alike. Even if your kids are fairly adaptable, big changes like heading back to school after a summer of limited scheduling can be stressful.

Head off potential problems as you transition into the busy back-to-school season with these family-friendly tips to get everyone back on the school-time track:

Set a Family Schedule
Rather than rushing into school season all at once, try to plan your schedule ahead of time. Easing into school season can make for a much smoother transition. This means gradually tapering off later bedtimes and enforcing an earlier wake up call. If meal times have gotten lax, it’s also a good idea to start working back toward your school-time schedule.

Pack Easier
Getting everyone up and on their way can be one of the greatest challenges on school days. Serve breakfast, pack lunches and make it out the door with a cup of still-hot coffee with an option like the Chinet Comfort Cup insulated hot cup. It’s designed to help keep drinks the perfect temperature while remaining cool to the touch, and with the snap-and-go lid, you can avoid messes during busy mornings.

Stay Organized
From weekly meetings to extracurricular activities and weekend sports, try using lists and charts to stay organized. Especially as kids grow older and their activities lists and school deadlines expand, keeping track of everyone can become a real chore. Find a place in the house where you can post calendars and lists that everyone can see. Try color-coding by child or type of activity (school, work, sports, etc.) for extra organization.

List Family Goals
Have each person in the family list out his or her goals for this school year. They can be small or challenging, but it can give everyone something to strive for. It’s also a good way to remind kids about family values like encouraging one another and making time to support everyone’s individual interests.

Buy Supplies Ahead of Time
Don’t wait until the last minute to search for school supplies like notebooks, pencils and paper or the bigger ticket items like backpacks. Seeking out necessary items ahead of time can alleviate the stress of not being able to find what you need, and spreading out purchases over time can eliminate a major one-time hit to the family budget.

Find more ideas to ease your family’s transition back to school at MyChinet.com.

Tips to Get Involved at Your Child's School

(Family Features) For some parents, back-to-school season can be bittersweet as they watch their kids grow more independent each year. Taking on an active role at your child’s school is a simple way to provide support and stay engaged.

Whether your schedule is relatively open or you’re juggling multiple demands, there are ways for virtually all families to participate in their children’s classrooms.

Volunteer in the classroom. Today’s teachers are busier than ever, developing classroom lessons, teaching to rigorous curriculum standards, coaching and chairing extracurricular activities and tackling their own professional development goals. This can leave little down time to coordinate special activities or classroom celebrations, but that’s where parent volunteers can play an essential role.

Develop relationships with teachers. Creating a connection with your child’s teacher can be based on more than checking in on performance and behavior. Sharing resources and ideas with teachers makes you an ally and an asset to the classroom. One example is the Tom's of Maine “Green Your School Fund,” which will give $1 million to classrooms nationwide this year so students can roll up their sleeves and tackle hands-on environmental projects to understand the impact they can have on the planet today and tomorrow. Learn more about the program and how you can help your child’s teacher submit a creative environmental classroom project at GreenSchoolFund.com.

Join a formal organization. School organizations like the Parent Teacher Association are designed specifically to engage parents in the education system. Members have a direct connection to news about what’s happening in the school, an avenue to share concerns and means for inspiring change and bringing about school improvements.

Take part in field trips. Many rich learning opportunities exist outside the classroom, but those activities are often limited by chaperone availability. Both schools and most field trip destinations require certain student-to-chaperone ratios for safety and optimal learning. Joining a classroom field trip not only allows you to share the experience side-by-side with your own child, but makes the outing possible for other children as well.

Share your talents. There are ways parents can get involved without straying too far from what they know best. Volunteering to speak at a career day in your child’s class is a simple way to share real-world experiences and help prepare the next generation of leaders. Of course, if you’re looking for something a little more hands-on, many schools welcome community support to help build props or sew costumes for the school play, host a lesson on a favorite artist, share cultural traditions or help run activities like science fairs or field days.

If you’re unsure how to get started, contact your student’s teacher or the school’s main office and ask for guidance on where you can make the biggest impact.

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