Easy Back-To-School-Hacks for Christian Parents of School-Age Children

It is still July as I write this article, but already stores are promoting Back-to-School sales. If you are a parent or guardian of any school-age children, you might have already started the preparatory comments to your kids…”Last month of freedom”, “Let’s get your school supplies ready”, or “School’s going to be here before you know it!” 

I’ve scrounged the internet and my own personal experiences to come up with some really good godly tips for parents who want to see their kids thrive in school (public, private, or homeschool) – starting that very first day!

Transitioning from Summer Freedom to School Discipline:

    *Create more downtime in the evening to choose the next day’s outfit, make a list for the next day’s activities, talk about a school-related activity and become excited for the next day’s events

     *Figure out your child’s bed time during school and then incrementally decreasing bedtime by 3-5 minutes each night the last month of summer vacation so they are well-adjusted by the time the first day of school arrives.

    *Some kids love and need the visualization of knowing when school starts. Anything like a countdown calendar, paper-chain countdown (taking off one loop in the chain for each day closer), or a picture calendar of activities for the remainder of summer and then the first day of school.

    *Start establishing some morning routines starting off with simple additions like breakfast at a certain time, adding a simple daily devotion time with breakfast, tightening up on some house rules (making bed, getting chores done on a schedule, etc).  Set the alarm for earlier wake-up times until the kids are waking up at a school-day time at least a week before school starts.

   *Have the kids choose one verse from the Bible that can be their “verse for the year”. If your child is shy, a good verse might be Isaiah 41:13 “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who says to you, ‘Fear not, I am the One who helps you.’”  For worriers, Philippians 4:6-7 would be encouraging. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”  To encourage kindness, Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another”, and to overcome challenges Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.”

   *Before school starts, make a point for your kids to meet their teachers, take a tour of a new school, and go over some extra-school activities they might want to get involved in.

   *Make a special end-of-summer activity/activities which alert our kids that we are saying good-bye to summer.

   *Good-bye rituals can be instrumental in getting a focused perspective about who God is calling our kids to be. Integrity can be taught as doing what is right, even when no one is looking. At drop-off at school a great question for the child might be “How will you return to me after school?” with a response like “With integrity.” Any character quality can be reinforced using that same simple question and response as they leave your care each morning.

   *Mini-missions are excellent ways to teach our kids to focus on God, others, and ourselves. Some mini-missions to be sent on at the beginning of the day might be “Tell a friend one kind thing today” or “I challenge you to find someone sitting by themselves at lunch and inviting them to your table or to sit with them.” Make sure to follow-up at the end of the day to encourage them to keep at it!

Above all, pray for your children, their teachers, their friends, their peers, and perhaps for that adversary. Pray with your kids and for them. Pray for their classes, their ability to listen and learn, for wisdom, for aptitude in taking tests and quizzes, for overcoming fears, for making new friends. Pray with thanksgiving for healthy bodies and minds, and pray for a boldness to let Jesus shine in their lives during the coming school year. Make it a habit to utter a quick prayer over your children before saying goodbye each morning.

And don’t forget to enjoy the rest of the summer before that first school bell rings!

You can contact Shari for more information or to volunteer: (515) 344-5921 or shari@steamboatbaptist.org.

Because Jesus Loves Children!