Did your family’s routines fall by the wayside during the summer? Totally normal! It’s OK to let go of some of the more rigid schedules and routines when school’s out and things are a bit more relaxed, but for most families, schedules keep everything flowing smoothly, especially during the chaotic, sometimes-stressful back-to-school season! “Routine” isn’t a bad word, but sometimes our routines need a little reset.
Ready to get your kids prepped for a new school year, gear up for immune support season, and balance it all while still sneaking in time for fun and family? Here’s how to hit the restart button on your school-year routines.
Align on a family plan. When you get the whole family involved, kids and parents are more likely to go with the flow once it’s time to institute the plan. Have a family meeting and talk about the biggest stress points of back-to-school season: waking up earlier, getting out the door in the morning, making sure kids didn’t forget lunch or their homework, daily jitters and nerves. How can you plan for these things each day? Maybe it’s a to-do list for each child to complete before bedtime, like laying out their clothes for the next day and packing their backpack. Maybe it’s slowly easing into earlier wake-ups by going to bed and waking up five or ten minutes earlier each night for a few weeks before school starts. For parents, aligning on who does what can help reduce arguments over whose turn it is to pack lunches or help with math lessons.
Try a big calendar or an app! Need help scheduling? A large wall calendar can be a helpful way to see everything everyone has going on; use a different color for each family member to easily track who has piano lessons, whose soccer game is coming up, and who needs to see the dentist. If you prefer a virtual calendar, there are so many different apps to choose from to get everyone on the same page; it may take a few tries to find the one for you.
Get back into healthy habits. If your kids fell off of their multivitamin habit during the summer, that’s OK! Reinstitute a daily multivitamin like Floradix® Kinder Love® to support their growth and bone development.* As an added bonus, it contains vitamins A and C to support kids’ immune health, which all parents know is essential for back-to-school season.* The formula is flavorful and gentle so it’s easy to take every day. For grown-ups, try Epresat® Adult Multivitamin, which includes seven vitamins to support energy, immune health, and nerve function.*
Don’t over-schedule your kids. Running from lessons to practice to games to playdates can be draining on everyone. While you definitely want to encourage your kids to pursue their passions, they also need time to just hang out and be kids! Ask them to choose one or two activities they’d like to continue or try this year, then focus on those.