How to Make Back to School 2023 the Best Yet
Whether you are enjoying the holidays or can’t wait for them to end, we all want back to school 2023 to be easy and stress-free. The lead-up to back to school can be overwhelming especially when big changes are happening for the little people in your life. We have lots of ideas to help make the back-to-school period as smooth sailing as possible.
Back to School Shopping Trip
There is always lots to buy to get ready for back to school. Why not get the kids involved in the shopping to ease any worries about starting the new school year? A great way is to turn their booklist into a scavenger hunt and have the kids go around the store choosing all the things they need like pencils, textas, etc.
,Click here to download your free scavenger hunt
Does the scavenger hunt sound stressful? Time poor? I hear you! Why not do a click and collect order or even better get it delivered to your house? Officeworks, Big W, and Kmart all do click and collect and/or home delivery. That way you can order everything from your booklist without dealing with the crowds.
School Supply List Questions Answered (Answers From a Teacher)
Wondering why they need 4 whiteboard markers and a wooden ruler? Would a plastic one do? Do they really need 10 HB pencils? Will their scissors from last year do? These are all common questions I hear from parents.
Most of the time it doesn’t matter if you cannot get the exact same item listed on the booklist. It says they need 4 BLUE whiteboard markers and you can only find a 4-pack of multi colour. IT IS FINE - it’s not going to matter.
Things that do matter are - exercise line sizes. If you are required to buy a certain size of dotted thirds exercise book or paper. That does matter. If it is too small your child is going to struggle to write in the lines properly. If it is too big your teen is going to need 10X exercise books because they will fill it up so fast.
A great way to save a little bit of money on school supplies is to look through last year's pencil case. Are the scissors and ruler still ok? Do some of their whiteboard markers still work? It is totally fine to reuse them this year. You don’t need to buy everything brand new every year. It’s a bonus for your pocket and the environment.
The biggest question I hear is - Do they really need all this stuff on the first day of school? Do they need 10 HB pencils? The short answer is NO, but the long answer is YES.
No, your child does not need 10 lead pencils on the first day of school. Maybe send them with 3. But over the course of the year, I can guarantee you they will need more. Classrooms are kind of like washing machines to socks. It is a mystery where those pencils and textas go! No matter how good your child is at looking after their belongings and no matter how well you label them, they will at the very least need more lead pencils or pens - possibly even a replacement of crayons, textas, coloured pencils, and a glue stick or two.
This brings me to my last tidbit of advice. If you can swing it - buy an extra pack of coloured pencils, textas, crayons, glue sticks, etc while they are on sale. No doubt your child will need replacements come Term 3 and if they don’t you can always use them next year.
Bake Some Treats - Get Some Lunchbox Ideas
To get your little ones excited about heading back to school, why not bake some lunchbox treats together? There are many yummy things you can make ahead of time and freeze ready to pop into lunchboxes.
A nice way to make back-to-school fun is to write little notes and put them in their lunchbox. This is especially nice for kids who are just starting school, changing to a new school, or moving to high school this year.
,Get our free lunchbox notes here
Get Familiar
Ease any back-to-school worries by visiting their school, and talking about who their teacher is and who their friends are/or might be. Tell them how much fun they are going to have and wonder together about all the great things they might do. Talk about positive experiences you had when you were at school.
Driving past the school and saying things like - "in two weeks that is going to be your school/class, and you are going to have so much fun", can be enough to ease any nervous feelings.
If your child is going to start a new school and will be riding or catching the bus practice traveling together so they are confident about what to do and where to go.
Organise a playdate for your child with a classmate from their new class or talk about how much fun they will have with their friend so and so. You could even talk about how awesome their new teacher is going to be.
Feeling unsure about your child’s teacher this year? Try your best not to discuss it in front of them (even when you think they aren’t listening - little people have big ears!) making negative remarks about their teacher is a sure way to set up for a tricky year ahead.
Read a Back to School Book Together
There are lots of books about going back to school and starting school for the first time. These are great to read together and talk about returning to school. Here is a list of great back-to-school books with links on Youtube so you can listen to them if you can’t find them in a shop or in your library.
,The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNfMXLFPjF8
,The Pigeon HAS to go to School by Mo Willems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9wJTLpioPI
,The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz6o8b2bFd0
,First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XDp_TukRb0
End Summer With a Bang
Use a calendar to count down to when school starts. On the last day of the holidays do something fun like getting ice cream together, or spending the afternoon at the beach. You could even make it a family tradition.
I hope the start of the new school year is smooth sailing for you and your family. We'd love to hear if you try any of our suggestions in the comments below.
Interested in tutoring?,Book a FREE discovery call to discuss your child's needs
Want to read more? Check out our other articles:
,50 Things to do on Summer Holidays to Keep the Kids Easily Entertained
,4 Benefits of Group Tutoring That Make it a No Brainer
,5 Easy Gifts Teachers Really Want For Teacher Appreciation Day
,5 of the Best Free Apps to Boost Your Child's Learning
,5 Reasons Your Child Needs a Tutor
,How to Know if Your Child Got a Good Report
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