When it is back-to-school time, everything around the household changes. Even though summer vacation wasn’t technically that long, it was long enough to forget about what it takes to get up, get ready and get out the door for school. Those challenges are in place whether you’re sending a toddler or a teenager off to school. Here is some good advice you can put into place to make your back-to-school transition run smoother:
Identify Priorities
The older the student, the more opportunities for activities that happen outside of school time. Sports, theater, friends, social media and homework all have to find a way to get squeezed into the day. This is when you need to identify your student’s priorities. They can spend time with all of those activities but not at the detriment of grades. TV shows can be recorded and watched later. Friends can wait until the weekend. The focus should be dedicated time each night for homework. After that, the other things can fall into place.
Social Media Cut Off
Speaking of social media, you need to establish some boundaries with regard to Smartphone use. It should probably be shut off during homework time but also during family meals. In fact, no phone should make an appearance at the dinner table! It is also important to set a curfew for social media. It’s not hard to imagine kids staying up all night texting back and forth. If it becomes a real problem, then perhaps the solution is to surrender all devices at bedtime and retrieve them in the morning.
Ask Questions
As the parent, you’re going to want to find out how their school days are going. The classic “How was school today?” and cliché response, “Fine” might not provide the information you’re really seeking. You’ll want to go deeper and ask questions that provoke better answers like “What kind of challenges did you overcome today?” “Who did you help?” “What is your goal for tomorrow?” There might be some grumbling at first but keep pressing until a dialogue happens.
Remove Clutter
Starting the school year is a clean slate for the kids. It should also be a clean slate around the house. The less clutter, the less distractions. Junk King Los Angeles can prove to be a terrific decluttering partner. All those unwanted items from your kid’s closet, dresser, shelves and bedroom can be gathered up and carted away by Junk King. The same goes for every other room in the house. Make this year’s back-to-school prep one that involves no clutter with help from Junk King Los Angeles.