Make The School Day Run Smoother with Routines

Parenting     From Amanda Rock, your About Parenting Editor     While this has been a great summer for us – fun-filled days bookended by take-it-easy mornings and lots of movie and game nights that extend past our bedtime – I’m afraid our lazy, hazy, crazy days are soon coming to end. While the transition to alarm clocks and bedtimes are going to be difficult, I’m hoping routines will help us get back into the school swing of things quickly.   More Back-to-School Ideas Get Yourself Ready Get Your Child Ready Develop a Good Parent-Teacher Relationship   Follow us on:     Organize a Back-to-School Routine While I have some adjusting to do to my personal schedule as well as the family one, my kids will really feel the biggest impact. That’s why a back-to-school routine is so important. Jennifer shares the best ways to help get your kids to a great start, from setting a curfew to making sure you have plenty of healthy snacks in the house. READ NOW   Start Your School Morning Right With three kids that need to get out the door with an assortment of books, papers, projects, and more (don’t forget the lunch!) on time – a morning routine is essential! Laureen explains the best ways to streamline your morning routine so you all start the day off with less stress. READ NOW   Create A Consistent After-School Routine The hours from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. are the witching hours in our house, because we have to get so much done in such a short amount of time. From homework to dinner and everything in-between, Jennifer helps you sort out your afternoons and early evenings. READ NOW   How to Establish a Bedtime Routine While many associate bedtime routines with young children, they can also be beneficial for older ones too. My teenager was having trouble falling asleep at night so we turned to a bedtime routine to help him settle down. While I’m not tucking him in anymore and giving him a glass of water, he is definitely pulling elements of his nighttime ritual (taking a shower, doing some quiet reading) from when he was younger, and it seems to be working. READ NOW   ADVERTISEMENT Featured Articles Having Fun with a Cardboard Box How to Help Women’s Sports Follow About.com Parenting on Twitter Listen to the Parenting RoundAbout Podcast Visit the Parenting Channel on About.com More from About.com Sign up for Shareables! An every-morning rundown of the day in history, with headlines and trends produced by your pals at About.com. Click here to sign up! It's free (of course) and we think you'll like it! Want More From About.com? Check out our social channels tailored to every interest! Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Parenting newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 Privacy Policy © 2014 About.com