Beat the Back to School Blues

The 2019-2020 school year is upon us! We hope you’re enjoying your summer. Our schools have varied start dates, but we know now is the time to start thinking about ways to make the return to school a bit easier. We pulled together a few tips for your family.

Get your child(ren) back into a routine of realistic bedtimes and morning tasks at least 1-2 weeks in advance. Picking out clothes, packing lunches, all of it will take time to get back into a rhythm!
- And for that first week of school, you may want to lay out clothes, pack lunch and backpacks all before going to bed. Everyone will be tired those first few days back!
Talk as a family about what you’re each feeling as the school year nears. It can help to share all the worry, excitement, and everything in between –and then talk through and explain how things will be and what things may be changing from the summer routine.
- This is a great time to discuss and relive the memories of the best parts of summer so your student(s) is ready to share with everyone what they did during break!
Pray with and for your child(ren) and the staff of educators they will encounter: [Jesus, please inspire us all to do our best this year! Allow us to have open eyes and hearts to see the new opportunities that this new school year will bring].
- For younger kids, you may think and talk about the specific prayers do you do at home, and will there be a place/time to do that at school?
Point out to older children that right from the start there will be many ways in which they can serve/volunteer. You can check the school’s website for different ministries and extracurriculars to start getting excited about. Serving the school and larger community is something that sets Catholic schools apart from others.
“Play” school if needed. You can pretend to be the new teacher’s name, pretend to do morning drop off and practice waving to each other; this can especially help younger ones know what to expect.
Involve kids in shopping for school supplies. They’ll be far more excited to use things they personally picked out! Check your school’s website for school supply lists if you don’t already have one.
- The same can be said for back-to-school grocery shopping. Ensuring your child(ren) eat a healthy breakfast and lunch will give them energy and focus throughout the day. Getting their buy-in on what food to buy that they will actually eat can also make life a bit easier.
- Somewhat related to buying supplies would also be to research if your school has a used uniform sale, which can be an easy and cost-effective way to build up clothing for your Catholic school student.
Start connecting with fellow families: Mark your calendars for back to school night at your building. And consider initiating play dates with the classmates they’ll see soon.

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What else is missing from the list? Any seasoned parents willing to share their advice?

If you or anyone you know is still searching for a school that’s the right fit, check out our school finder.