It’s almost time to get your kiddos ready to go back to school! Making the transition from being in the summer sun to heading back to the classroom can be tough on your child, and it’s important to try and ease them back into their school time routine. Though, we understand that for parents, creating a routine that also incorporates your child’s therapy can be somewhat challenging. But that’s where we come in! We’re here to help give you 5 wonderful tips for incorporating your child’s therapy into their back-to-school routine. Our hope is that these tips can help make the transition of sending your children into the new school year a little easier.
1. Work With Your Kiddos to Make Lunch: An easy way to incorporate your child’s therapy into their back-to-school routine is to make their lunch together. After your family sits down for dinner, ask your child to help you prepare their school lunch for the next day. You can ask your child to do things such as peeling an orange, spreading jelly or jam onto a sandwich, or using a cute cookie cutter to turn slices of fruit into fun shapes. Your child will love being your little helper!
2. Fit Therapy Into Your Child’s Morning Routine: There are so many opportunities to fit your child’s therapy into their morning school routine. In fact, your child is probably doing many of these tasks already! After your child has woken up and eaten breakfast, get them into a simple routine that they can follow day after day. For example, you can have your child brush their teeth, help pick out an outfit and get dressed, do some light stretching, make their bed, and help pack their school bag. This will make mornings go a whole lot more smoothly for both you and your child.
3. Make Time For Play: Being away from home and working hard at school all day can be tiresome for your kiddos. This is why it’s important to try and incorporate play when they get home! Not only will this give your child a chance to relax and work on their therapy, but it also allows you to spend some quality time with one another. Some easy ways to engage in play therapy with your little ones include:
- Turn on some music and show off your best dance moves.
- Have your child draw a picture of their day and explain how it makes them feel.
- Get outside with your kiddos and enjoy a game of Simon Says.
- Try an easy family workout to get you and your children moving.
4. Read a School-Themed Book at Bedtime: Last but certainly not least, we suggest ending the day by reading a book with your child. There are many books that relate directly to going back to school, that we just know you and your child will enjoy. If you aren’t sure where to begin, some of our favorite school-themed books include:
- I’m Going to Kindergarten!
- Curious George’s First Day of School
- The Kids on the Bus: A Spin-the-Wheel Book of Emotions
- Butterflies on the First Day of School
- On the First Day of Kindergarten
Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout August as we continue to celebrate your little ones going back to school! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.
