Time for back to school

Anyone else feel like it’s back to school season once school is over?! I feel like big box stores tend to whip out the pencils, notebooks, and lunchboxes as early as June these days. Students, parents, and teachers need a break.

Alas, summer can not last forever, and in California some schools go back as early as the first week of August.

So let’s look at coming back to school from 3 different different aspects: physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Of course, we need to be physically ready for school – we need to get our school supplies ready, make sure that we have the right fitting clothing and shoes, and have our lunches packed – but we also need to get our bodies physically ready for school. Honestly, we know that how our physical bodies feel strongly affects our emotional state.

Let’s talk about the two most important things that we need to help keep our bodies and emotions up and running well!

• First, I recommend getting enough sleep. For those of us with teenagers in the house, we know how challenging it is to have them go to sleep at a decent hour! But at the end of the day we know that they act like zombies in that first week of school when they don’t get enough sleep. Parents, this one’s for you too! If you are also not getting enough sleep, you’re both irritable and that’s the perfect recipe for disastrous mornings.
  • Some tips to help you get a better sleep: first, create a routine and stick to it. This will help your body get into a rhythm and your brain will think it’s time to go to bed. This routine will take time to work, so be patient. Second, try laying off of the caffeine later in the day. Less coffee, less sugar will help you fall into that natural circadian rhythm. Lastly, try investing in a good diffuser and some good quality essential oils. I have been using doTERRA’s serenity for some time to help me and the kiddos get into a groove for sleeping.
• Second, let’s talk about what you’re putting in your body. Are your kiddos hyped up on sugar and caffeine? Well, maybe it’s time to start cutting back on that for a few weeks before school starts. Try swapping out actual processed sugar with natural sugar. I usually use doTERRA’s slim and sassy to help me curb those cravings.

Next let’s talk about the mental aspect of getting ready for back to school. We all know that school is about learning and keeping your mind sharp. However, we also know that summer is the time to simply relax and enjoy life. Most kiddos don’t challenge their brains in a way that their brains get challenged during the school year. Here are some tips and tricks that I do with my own kiddos to help them transition from summer break to school thinking.

• First, start with journaling about your day. Spend some time before bed, as part of your evening routine, or in the morning when you wake up. Let’s face it, we write a lot in school, whether it’s actually writing an essay, taking notes, or completing assignments – WE ARE WRITING. If we are out of practice from writing, our hands will hurt when we go back to writing full time, which can make us irritable, and we are working hard to avoid that feeling.
• Next, play some number games to get your mind to think about math. Let’s face it, for many math is a struggle, and to simply jump into a daily math period is tough! But if you’ve been working with numbers and number puzzles, you’re activating the brain that helps you complete math problems. As a teacher, I could always tell apart the kiddos who did some math or puzzle work during the summer from those who didn’t. There was less complaining and attitude about learning math from the kiddos who spent some time on math in the summer.
  • However, I know it’s tough when parents are working to keep up with these tasks. You can also look for math or writing camps. These usually last a week and would be great to help get the kids back into the swing of things for back to school.
• Finally, and this tip might just be the easiest one – watch some TedEd videos on history or science. Help your brain visualize what you’re going to work on in science labs in the upcoming year by turning to YouTube. Listen to a podcast on historical events, or current events. Do this as a family and have a discussion after you watch the videos. What thoughts and feelings come up for you? Have you ever heard of something like that? etc.

These will help you get into the swing of things before the school year starts so that when it’s time for the first day of school you’re ready to tackle even the hardest of topics. Happy back to school!