7 Steps for A Successful School Year

A successful school year starts before the first bell rings. Click To TweetAre you ready for a new school year?  Once upon a time the school year was just that, school.  Now, kids have sports, activities, lessons, academics and personal hobbies.  Managing all of this is a daily feat.  I wanted to give you some tips to make sure the school year is as successful as possible and that your kids develop an understanding and skill set for managing their time.

1.  Create a homework caddy.  This is a container filled with the supplies your kids need to complete their assignments any where in the house. Having it in a caddy allows them to grab it and work anywhere.  They also save time by not having to run around the house collecting supplies.

2.  Schedule time for clean up, put away and all the other transitions.  Often we book appointments and activities back to back.  Not allowing time for clean up, packing and preparation can be a disaster.  

3.  Keep track of how long things take.  Just because soccer practice is only scheduled for an hour, it takes time to get there, get dressed, cool off and get home.  How long does the whole process REALLY take?  Paying attention to this can help you better plan your child’s time.

4.  Use timers.  Timers are a great way for kids to improve productivity and develop a better understanding of time.  Kids and adults alike have a hard time comprehending how long things take.  Set a timer for ten minutes and see how much you can accomplish.  Cleaning up is often a dreaded task.  In reality, it usually goes very quickly. Use a timer as a family to motivate everyone to move a little faster and to understand time  better.

5.  Use tools your child will find effective.  Does your child learn more effectively by reading, or listening or being hands on?  Use tools that embrace these preferences and differences for the best change as success.

6.  Manage your own time.  If your child sees you racing from events to event and always forgetting things, they will learn from that.  Make sure you have your own time in order to be the best example.

7. Schedule meals and sleep.  If you don’t allow ample time these necessary life items, you’ll always be running behind and not functioning at your best.