Ready to shake up your back-to-school routine? Kita Szpak offers suggestions that will take you to the head of the class
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After a carefree summer, come September, the automatic-pilot-generated schedule drops like a lead balloon.
Parents and caregivers know this scenario by heart: getting key dates on the calendar; stocking up on school supplies and new clothes; finding out which bus, which teacher, which entrance your son and daughter are assigned; needing to pick them up; emptying the knapsack; asking about homework; preparing lunch and snacks; signing scrunched up papers on demand; then repeating this pattern for the next 10 months or so minus PD days and holidays which have a schedule of their own with which to contend.
I’m going to make a suggestion. Try stepping away from it.
Stepping away from something is removing or changing it. Obviously, some elements of a school schedule remain absolute. However, changing a few aspects can revitalize the notion of “same old” to “different” especially if you move from a passive acceptance of what you and your kids have been doing to being actively involved in the day-to-day stuff that needs to get done.
Put a little fun note in their lunchbox See what kind of ripple effect that has.
Walk/bike with the kids to school If you’ve been driving them or they’ve been taking the bus (I do hear some bus routes have ceased to operate this year), maybe there’s an opportunity to walk with them. Yes, this takes extra time but may be just the thing to open the lines of communication, be with them, get some exercise with them and offer that boost of confidence that may be flagging. Who knows? It might be you who needs the pep talk or the mind off a serious situation at work. It goes both ways.
Have them empty their knapsacks themselves This is a good habit to get into. They remember the note they’re supposed to give you. You can see the apple slices are a hit but the green pepper, not so much. Further down the line, getting a few things ready for lunch will be their responsibility… and part of a participatory schedule.
Volunteer to read in the classroom 2026 is the United Nations’ International Volunteer Year. Stepping up to be a part of your child’s day is a big deal for them. Whether it’s reading, volunteering at the school fair, being part of a school trip or presented as their “show and tell,” you may find you actually enjoy it and realize volunteering in this way not only benefits your child but makes you feel good, too.
Sit on a school committee Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Your busy life doesn’t have room for another obligation or another meeting, but if you want a change in how your relationship with your kids – through your interaction with their school – can thrive, this is a place to start. You’re not only shaking up a passive school schedule; you’re putting yourself in a position to make a difference.
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