Mom's Talk: Bye Bye Spring Break, it's Back-To-School Time!

As the Peachtree Corners and Berkeley Lake school spring breaks come to a close this weekend, we asked our Mom's Forum to share their best tips on transitioning children to back-to-school mode.  

Many families take the opportunity to take an out-of-town vacation, which obviously throws kids (and parents!) out of the daily school routine.  So, we also asked how they, themselves, get back into school mode after break as well.

Maureen says:   I have found that transitioning back from short breaks is best managed by not deviating wildly from the normal schedule. Mornings do have an option to sleep in but not two hours later than usual. Bedtimes usually flex 30-60 minutes later than normal which keeps the kids from lying in bed the night before returning to school awake until 11 p.m.

However, there's no getting around the fact that the first week back after a break drags eternal. We just take it one day at a time and soldier on.

Robin says:  The transition back to school after spring break is probably more of a challenge for me than it is for my girls since it is my tendency to want to milk the time off until the very last day. When Monday morning rolls around, I’m often running around the house like a chicken with my head cut off saying things like, “Oops, I forgot to pack her lunch!”  Thankfully, we have a relatively low-key morning school routine, so things never tend to get too hairy anyway.

I whole-heartedly agree with Maureen that from a sleep perspective, it’s best to try to not deviate too far from the sleep routine. However, if we are out of town visiting family or friends that we rarely see, this is easier said then done. Minimally, I try to have them in bed at a reasonable hour the weekend prior to heading back to school.  I also find it helps to lay out clothes the night before the first day back (and any day for that matter!).  It helps to get them in the back-to-school mode.

Amy says:  With four children at various ages and at different schools, the first several days back to school is usually a challenge in our household.  One trick that I use that helps all of us is that the day/night before the first day back, it’s screens off (TV, phone, computer, games, etc.) and I have the kids work on school related work, whether it’s homework or just reading a book.  That tends to help get their minds back in academic mode.