Judging by social media, plenty of you have started school by now. Here in the Bay area, we still have a couple weeks of summer left. I’m penciling in parents’ night and starting to think about school supplies, but the number one thing on my mind is how to help my oldest beat back-to-school fatigue.
For most of kindergarten, he came out at the end of the day with his poker face painted on. No smiles, no “guess what we did today??” while hopping on one foot. (Guess that’s how I always imagined my kindergartener would come out!)
He was beat.
And it usually wasn’t long before he’d start picking little fights with his brother. Or he’d refuse to wash his hands before lunch… Just something.
If this is on your mind too, here are the five tips that made the biggest difference for us last year:
1. Move bedtime up at least a week before school starts.
The importance of rest cannot be understated. 🙂
2. Pack protein!
String cheese, a hearty, whole-wheat sandwich, protein bars, frozen yogurt tubes, etc. A friend of mine uses silicone ice pop maker molds to freeze protein smoothies, and she sends them in her son’s lunch. With the added benefit of squeezing in more fruits and veggies, I might just have to try it this year!
3. Encourage your kids to actually EAT lunch (not just run off and play).
There’s a fine line, though, between a calmly explained reminder and consistent nagging, so good luck to all of us! 🙂 Luckily for me, halfway into the year Trenton started realizing how much food affected his mood, so he doubled up his efforts.
Packing food they really like, or mixing it up in fun and creative ways, also helps.
4. After the last bell rings, feed your kids as soon as humanly possible.
Sometimes I’d bring a granola bar for Trenton to eat before we even got to the car. Other days, I’d have lunch made and sitting on the table so we could eat the moment we walked through the door. I didn’t manage it every day, but I ALWAYS noticed it helped us avoid some bickering when I did.
5. Let your kids unwind.
For us, a half an hour with the iPad usually did the trick. After some food and some down time, we were ready for homework, dinner prep, or a quick outing.
All right, ladies—what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Seriously, I can use all the help I can get. I’m hoping these tips and yours will help me see this smile—
—as much as possible next year. 🙂
Linked up with The List.
These are great tips that I think we could all use to beat fatigue!!
Haha, so true! Now that I think of it I do *try* to use some of these to get my through my daily afternoon slump. 🙂
I’ve always been a big fan of food but thought if you were hungry you’d tell those around you. Turns out kids don’t bother or at least they will but only after a tantrum or some bickering. This reminds me of the Joan Collins Snickers advert ‘you’re a right Diva when you’re hungry!’
Anyway, enjoy your last week or so and good luck with your speedy battling of hunger! Hxxx
#TheList ps have followed you back on Pinterest – I’m now off for a good look round 😉 xx
This is a really helpful post. My little one is only 15 months old. But I already notice that she is grouchy and overly tired if she has not had a good night’s sleep and has eaten badly. I’ll definitely bear these tips in mind when she starts nursery or school. Hugs Mrs H xxxx #thelist
I have a long way to go before school days, but this is a really great post, thanks so much for sharing and linking it to #TheList x