Whether this is your child’s first time going to school or returning back to school, getting into a new routine takes time. Here are 5 tips to help make this transition a little easier for all!

1. Keep a consistent routine! On school days, morning routines should be consistent and predictable so there are no surprises for anyone (young children especially thrive on knowing what is coming up). For mornings: brush teeth, change cloths, eat breakfast, shoes & lunch/backpacks - and out the door! For evenings: dinner, bath, book, bed.

2. Post visual steps of the schedule(s)! You and your child can help create this together. If your child is pre-literacy, draw pictures of the routine and steps in the sequence they need to complete them. This gives the child some control and autonomy to manage themselves and avoids you having to constantly nag and remind them! You can just say “check the chart” - they can even “check off” if it’s laminated!

3. Get a good night’s rest! Young children’s brains need plenty of rest to restore and rejuvenate for the next day. Avoid screens 2 hours before bedtime and allow ample time for your child to wind down for the evening. Adults need all of this too - so try and model this for your child as well!

4. Allow for a little extra time in the mornings. When we are constantly in a rush and saying “hurry up,” or “go faster,” or “we don’t have time for that…” it can feel really stressful (if our partners said this to us each morning, we’d start feeling pretty grumpy too - so just imagine how your young child may be feeling)! Try to have certain things ready the night before so you are not feeling so rushed in the morning (ie. make lunches before bed; have clothes pick out already; socks next to shoes; etc).

5. Be OK with the fact that transitions take time. Your child will have ups and downs at drop off time, and this is a normal part of the process until they are comfortable and familiar with the people, expectations, and routines of their day. Children are so acutely attuned to our feelings and will sense our anxiety, frustration, sadness - so try to be aware of what you are projecting - hopefully trust, faith, and optimism that they will get there! Also, empathy goes a long way - if your child is having a hard morning, you can validate those feelings by saying something to the effect of “I understand that school is still new and you are still learning about everything. I get that. I feel nervous too when I’m in a new place. When I started a new job, it took me a little time to figure it out and feel comfortable. I know you’ll get there soon.”

Best wishes to your whole family for this new school year! - Reena