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In the next month or so, parents will be thinking about and prepping kids to start heading back to school.  While we may not know exactly what school will look like next year, we can still do some things to begin preparing for it.

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Here are ten things to think about as you prepare for your child to return to school.

1. Make sure that your children can tie their shoes or purchase velcro shoes.  This is always a great skill to have before starting school, but especially now.  Shoelaces are disgusting, and teachers do not want to touch them if at all possible.  We can almost feel the germs spreading into our bodies as we tie wet shoelaces. Lol!
2. Purchase extra school supplies during Back to School sales.  Again, this is another great tip for the beginning of every school year, but it will be even more important this year.  Since, we will not be able to have community supplies, students will need to have extra supplies available to them when theirs run out or get lost.  I always have students that need to begin borrowing my crayons and pencils by the second week of school.  This is an area that really worries me about this coming year.  My students have always just borrowed supplies if needed.
3. Review proper hand washing and hygiene skills.  Really teach your students how to properly wash their hands.  Even though this is something teachers will talk about a lot at school, when they are in the bathroom alone, they need to know how important it is to still wash correctly.  Also, review how to sneeze and cough without spreading germs.  As well as, reminding them to keep their fingers out of their mouths and noses.
4. Think about how you will handle packing school lunches.  If you always pack your child’s lunch, remember to think about packing items that are easy to open.  Even though cafeteria assistants, or teachers if they have to eat in their classrooms, will most likely be wearing gloves, the less times someone needs to touch your child’s food, the better.  Something else to think about is purchasing an easy to clean lunchbox.  This is an item that will be going back and forth from school to home.  Something that can be wiped off easily will probably be best.  I am purchasing one of these Bento boxes for my own son entering kindergarten.
5. Label all school supplies.  In the past, teachers may have used community supplies for certain things, but it seems like the general guidelines that have been coming out recommend no sharing of school supplies.  For this reason, label everything.  It will save the teachers so much time on that first day of school.  Don’t just label the package of pencils or the package of markers.  Actually label each individual item.  If you want to get real fancy, this label maker is super fun and convenient.
6. Start getting your kids on a schedule.  As a mother of three, I am SO guilty of falling out of our schedule during this quarantine.  We have stayed up too late, eaten whenever we wanted to, and slept in way too often.  It will be an adjustment for sure when school starts.
7. Grab extra hand sanitizer and wipes if you see them in stock now.  You will probably want some for home to wipe down lunch boxes, folders, backpacks, and whatever else may be going back and forth between home and school.  It would also be a great idea to send in some extras to school, because teachers will definitely be using these things on a regular basis.
8. Make sure your child can zip and button any clothing that they may be wearing.  This goes along with the shoelaces.  The more that your child can do on his or her own, the easier it is for everyone.
9. Have open communication with the teacher.  Each school and teacher will have particular guidelines depending on what they are and are not comfortable with when thinking about the spread of Covid-19.  This goes along with each individual parent as well.  Keep an open line of communication with the teacher through all of this.
10. Be patient and flexible.  We truly have no idea what this next school year may bring.  Who would have thought that this past school year would have ended the way it did?  School districts are trying their best to think of all scenarios and how to make it work.  Even the best plans may need to be thrown out the window depending on the situation we are faced with.  Please be patient and flexible when plans change and know that your children’s best interests are always in mind.

What else would you add to this list?

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