The 2018-2019 school year is right around the corner.  The sunscreen, bathing suits, and care free days of summer will soon be a distant memory.  It is time to shift gears and get focused.  The next 180 days of school can be as successful as you make them!  It may seem like the success of your child depends on their teacher, their school, their willingness, their academic capabilities, but it’s about much more than that!  To start this year off in the right direction,  there are a few key things to consider and guess what?….These ‘steps’ in the right don’t start on August 15th or even August 13th.  These steps to start taking in order to have a successful year start NOW and they start with YOU! Below is a quick checklist (we know you are busy) to review as you and your child kick off a year off success!

1. Know what’s going on! Make sure you are in-the-know regarding updates at your child’s school.
   • School Supplies (all of them)
   • Uniforms 
   • Pick-up and drop-off times, expectations, routines (these can be different during the first week of school and for kindergarten students) 
   • How will you communicate w/teachers and school

2. Set up for success! Start preparing your child for their school year routines.  

1. • What will their school year bed time be, it may be different than it is during the summer, don’t let this be a shock the day before school starts.  The brain and body need time to adjust.
   • Try to end any summer travel by August 10^th.  Coming back from a trip can be a transition in itself, the more normalcy a child has before heading back to school, the better they will feel.  The better they feel, the more successful they can be. 
   • Start planning breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The more we prep & plan, the less hectic the days will be.

3. Consider the logistics and details to communicate with your child. 

4. • Homework routines and expectations
   • Extra-curricular activities
   • Transportation 
5. Always remember to model helpful behaviors!  Be the person you want your child to be.  If you expect them to be organized, prepared, self-motivated, task oriented, respectful, kind, calm, and proactive, be that person for them too!