5 Way to Beat the Back to School Blues

Hard to believe that many KC-area kids are starting school this week! Something about this summer and the weird weather makes it feel like we should have at least a few more weeks of summertime to enjoy. I know my kids are definitely having mixed feelings – they are excited to see their friends, but not quite ready to face sitting in a classroom for several hours a day. If that’s the case in your house, here are some ways to beat the back to school blues:

• Check out a sports event: Having a special outing to look forward to has always been helpful when the kids are less than thrilled, and the fun of a KC sports event cannot be replicated! The Royals, T-Bones and Sporting KC all have home games either this week or in the coming weekend.
• Create a new tradition: We all scream for ice cream in my household, so we have a long-standing tradition of going our for ice cream on the first Friday evening after school starts. Some of our favorites include Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, Sheridan’s Frozen Custard, and Freezing Moo.
• Get back on schedule: You know the drill: The kids can’t get to sleep the night before school since they are used to going to bed a little later on summertime schedule. Instead of fighting this habit, I decided a few years ago to get my kids back on track with special outings. These outings require that the kids get up and ready to go, reducing the shock of getting up early and getting dressed those first days back to school. The Kansas City Zoo, Crown Center (including Kaleidoscope and Adventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog), or a new park you’ve never visited before are all great reasons to get them moving along in the morning. They won’t even realize they are practicing their morning routine!
• Walk (or ride) to school: Make up a reason to visit the school, or just stop in to say hello. The front office staff loves seeing the students, and there is a great energy as the teachers get ready for the year. This gets the kids excited to return, and is helpful for your organized kiddos. My oldest loves going early to get her locker set up, so she knows everything is ready to go that first day of school. And it gets them back into the familiar routine of heading to school.
• Take a trip…down Memory Lane: Reminisce over last year’s yearbooks, or share some funny or favorite school memories from your own childhood; anything to spark your child’s memory of fun times they had – or interesting things they learned – in years past at school.