Back to School Tips to Help your Daughter Have an Amazing School Year

You blinked and the summer flew by - just that fast! Kids will be groaning, moms will be cheering. That’s usually the case, anyway. Some kids might be excited to go back, especially if they got bored of all that free time this summer. Other kids might be nervous, especially if they are entering elementary, middle or high school for the first time. Whatever the case is, it’s time to get them in school mode again. It can be hard to get that mindset back on classes, lessons, homework and after-school activities. If you have a young daughter in grade school that is going back to school again, there are ways you can help her get ready and prepped so that she makes this school year the best yet! Here are a few tips that can help:

Get Her Ready for Routine

Get an early start on schedules and hard deadlines. Have her getting accustomed to her school year curfew and bedtime again at the latest, a few days before school starts. Get a family calendar where you can track doctor’s appointments, cleaning and chore schedules, family events and commitments. If you were giving her more screen time (tablets, cell phones, laptops, video games and tv) over the summer, now is the time to start cutting it back again. If she hasn’t been needing to use an alarm every day, now is the time to start having her get up earlier so she can be ready for school hours again by the time it’s the official first day.

Go Back to School Shopping with Her

This is a given, but it really helps to get your daughter excited about school instead of looking at it as a drag. If you get all her stuff for her on your own, it might be faster, but you won’t give her a chance to really have a say in the look for her folders, binders, backpacks, lunchboxes, back to school clothes, etc. If she is into bright, colorful clothing and if her school is not a uniformed school, going shopping for fun, bright printed leggings and tees can give her an incentive to head to school happy! If she’s a young girl that loves to make friends but might be a little shy at first, a custom printed tee with her name on it or something sassy and fun can be a great icebreaker that gets her talking to new friends fast. Pro tip - it can also help teachers remember her name quickly. 

Have a First Day Talk with Her

Have a conversation with her about her first day. Ask her how she feels about it, what she is excited about, what she is nervous about and what she has questions about. Knowing what to expect can help alleviate any fears and help her move confidently on the first day back. A confident girl always attracts friends and positive energy, so anything that supports her confidence will help set her up for success all year long.

Set up a Homework Station at Home

Making sure your daughter has an unobstructed space with everything that she needs to get her homework done will ensure that she can be successful in her classes. It can be in her room or the family office, if you have one. Decorate it and make it cute and enticing so that she will want to be in the space. Have her help design it so she feels like it is her own. Lastly, doing this will help you monitor when she is doing her homework so you can be sure you are not interrupting, are available to help should she need it and you can make sure she is dedicating the appropriate time to it every night.

Make Sure She Signs up for Extra-Curricular Activities

School is so much more than just learning stuff. If she goes to school just for classes and comes back home right after, she will be missing out on a huge learning opportunity, new friendships and bonds as well as an important part of the school experience. Extra-curricular activities help your child learn about other interests; it helps her learn about teamwork and taking an initiative to pursue her passions. Whether it’s drama club, the soccer team, the basketball team, track, band, choir, dance or whatever is offered - be sure she signs up for at least 1 extra-curricular activity this year!