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Can you believe it? Down here in Florida, we are 10 days from going back to school! We only have a week of summer break left, and after 3 months off, it will be a difficult transition for them… and me!

During the summer, our 5-year old started a new phase of crying when he’s away from us. Every single morning of summer camp, we dropped him off to unconsolable tears. It was heart breaking to say the least, and part of the reason why I decided to leave my job to spend more time with the kids.

I have been working from home for the last 3 weeks now and our trouble-making / naughty little boy, has been behaving perfectly well! Who would have thought that being home with him would have that kind of effect on him.

Earlier this week, though, as I started preparing him for back-to-school in 2 weeks, he teared up and told me: “Mommy, I will cry at school because I want to be with you…”

Ideas to prepare your child for a successful Back To School transition!

And so, this is what we are doing to prep him and his sisters for a successful transition back to school!

1- Volunteering At School

We walked into the school earlier this week and asked how we could help get the school ready for students. We have been setting up the computer room and I take the kids to volunteer with me. Mark, our 5-year old, has realized how much he missed his school just from being on campus!

2- Reach Out To New Moms

A few days ago, we received the teacher assignments for the upcoming year. I looked for a couple of parents whose kids will be in his class and we met at the park one afternoon. Mark loved getting to know his future classmates and running around with them was a nice way for them all to know a couple of kids on their first day!

3- Have A Playdate With His Old Friends

Organizing playdates with old classmates is a great way to get kids ready for the school year again

We have been doing a lot of things as a family this summer – from trips to local attractions, and the kids have lost touch with their little friends. With the school year upon us, nothing like reconnecting with schoolmates to get back in the groove. We have organized two playdates with his classmates from last year, which made me realize how much he’d been missing them. I loved seeing them have fun at the pool, like they’d never left each other!

4- Get back into a routine

With two weeks to go, we started getting back in the routine of going to bed at 8PM and sticking to our school schedule (including getting dressed in the morning…). I would hate to get started with our schedule as school starts again and have them go through all of that change at once. They’ve actually been very responsive and they do well on a schedule.

5- Re-Engage Their Brains

Starting kids on workbooks towards the end of summer break is the best way to get them ready for the upcoming school year

About a month before the start of school, after 2 months of relaxing and play, we got back into doing a bit of homework. Nothing major, but we sit down after breakfast every day and do 4 to 6 pages of workbook. We got this particular one for Kindergarten and 1st Grade, and love it! They’re beautifully made and challenging enough to keep those little brains working. I am so glad we are doing some homework. The first few days were a bit difficult as if their brains were rusted. But I now feel that they have the tools they both need to succeed next year!

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Tips to get your child ready to go back to school and have a successful transition from summer break!