How To Rule This School Year: Like a Boss!

There’s just something about the first day of school. Something about the brand new school supplies. Something about the idea of a fresh start. Something about the anticipation for what’s to come. Kids, teachers, and parents are fueled by this excitement. But before you realize it, that excitement slowly fades. Slowly, but surely, it fades into the noisy background of homework, group sports, tests, studying, and the natural business that every school year brings. What happened to your newly sharpened pencils and nicely labeled folders? What happened to that “fresh start” you were looking forward to? And what ever happened to waking up on the first alarm? That’s all long gone. 

But not this year. This school year is your year. Go ahead and claim it! You are going to do big things this year. You’re going to do unheard of things, such as fix a hot breakfast and get the kids to school on time. You’re going to be the first car in the pick-up line after school. You’re going to refresh the kids’ supplies in the middle of the year, because there’s just something about new school supplies. Am I right?! 

Feeling pumped? Good. To help you with your quest to have the best school year ever, here are some things you can do to add that extra “umph” to your year. Because you are going to rule this like, like the boss that you are. 

Develop Routines: Like a Boss 

Stick to the routine. Embrace the routine. Rest in the routine. (Now repeat that to yourself over and over again.) Having a predictable schedule and order-of-events is key to having a great school year. Even the most carefree people can get behind a good routine. 

But why? 

Well first, routines greatly benefit children. Although they may not tell you they love routines, trust me, they love routines. If a child has an idea about what is about to happen, they feel safe. Young children may not yet have a concept of time, but given a well-implemented routine, they can relax and enjoy the world around them, because things seem familiar and predictable. 

Although this may seem counter-intuitive, routines also foster independence in your child. If they are used to doing a task by repeating and following a series of steps, then they are better prepared to do that task on their own. Compare that to a child attempting to complete a task without having practiced or performing that routine before. It would probably look like mad chaos. And no one wants that. 

And if you needed just one more reason why routines are necessary, just remember that routines reduce stress. Let me repeat that in case you didn’t hear it: routines reduce stress. And not just for your kids! They reduce stress for you too! Now, if that’s not motivating enough, I don’t know what is.  

This school year, try developing simple routines that everyone in the household can get behind. Start with simple steps for simple situations, such as a morning or bedtime routine. Come October, you will be thankful for your predictable routine that was put in place back in August! 

Plan Ahead: Like a Boss  

Before the Type-B people stop reading right here and now, just hear me out. Planning ahead does not mean that you are turning into an agenda-writing, calendar-keeping type of person. It just means that you know what’s coming. Because being the boss that you are, not much is going to surprise you this school year. Right? So, don’t run out and buy a planner, if that’s not you. Find your own system (Amazon Echo, anyone?). But stick to your system. 

You can plan ahead in many different ways. First, you can plan ahead on a small scale. What does this look like? Well, I am glad you asked. Here is a list of ideas for how to plan ahead on a daily basis: 

• Lay out your child’s school clothes for the next day 
• Look ahead at what is going on this week. Assign who is responsible for getting everyone to where they need to be.
• Meal plan. Meal plan. Meal plan. 
• Make to-do lists for the “little things” that come up. Check off the list before going to bed. 
• Set standard times, such as what time you will leave the house every morning and what time you will eat dinner every night. 

Sometimes, we have to take a step back and look at the “big-picture”. Planning on a larger scale will help you face this school year with confidence. And who knows, it may even give you something to look forward to. Here are some ways you can plan on a large scale this school year: 

• Write down all of the school’s holidays and breaks on a calendar. (And plan a vacation, maybe? Just saying.)
• Teach your kids how to time manage independently. For example, have them figure out when the next test is, then decide what studying should be done on each day prior to the test. 
• Have a family calendar. Write down every event and activity (and even meals!) for the month, so there are no surprises. 
• Don’t over-schedule. In fact, schedule in “breaks” as a family. Then watch how your stress level will lower because you do not have anything planned. (And that’s not a bad thing!) 

I am not delusional to know that sometimes things come up that were not part of the “plan”. That’s okay. Yes, my fellow Type-A friends. That IS okay! (Repeat that verbally if you have to.) Because there are many other areas that you have planned and predicted, a change in the plan will not shake you. You will take it one step at a time. And you will win. Afterall, you are a boss. 

Get Help: Like a Boss

You may be thinking “but bosses don’t need help.” I don’t know what bosses you are referring to, but everyone needs help, in some shape or form. Now, before you get help, there must first be a need. Your need will almost always look differently than the next person’s need. Although I cannot begin to name all the possible needs that will arise this school year, here is a list of some common needs… and who you can ask for help. 

“I’m overwhelmed. There is not enough time in the day!” 

If you are following your daily routines and planning ahead, but you still find yourself drowning in the day-to-day tasks, don’t be afraid to ask for help. How about asking a neighbor, grandparent, or family friend to pick up one kid from school, while you take the other one to the doctor. Or maybe you need to ask someone to watch the kids while you go on a grocery run… without the kids! Or you may be able to help yourself by saying “no” and getting rid of something in your schedule. Say “yes” to a break! 

“My kid is falling behind in school.” 

As the parent, you may feel responsible for this, but my friend, please let go of this guilt. And let go of the idea that you are the only one responsible for fixing this. There are a ton of resources available to you and your child. Take full advantage of them! Some of these resources include: 

• Tutors through the school 
• Academic assistance and tutoring through an outside service or company 
• Speech, language, or occupational therapy to help meet delayed milestones 
• Additional practice opportunities and worksheets from your child’s teacher 

“Someone is always sick!” 

So, I’m no doctor, and sometimes you just get sick. There’s no way around it. But the more often someone is not feeling 100%, the more behind you may seem to get. And if you feel behind, then you may not feel like a boss. Therefore, get ahead of it by initiating help from your doctor. Ask if there are vitamins they recommend for daily use. And even at the early onset of a cold, go to the doctor. Nip it in the bud before it gets worse! Because everyone needs to be on their A-game if you want to rule the school year (like a boss!).