The Lawhead Team hopes everyone enjoyed their summer break! It is time to get back into a routine and send kids off to school!

Here are a few tips to ease your family back into the school routine:

Start fun traditions – Having an annual ritual can help ring in the new school year and can be something to look forward to each new school year. For example, every year on the last night of summer break, sit around the camp fire and roast marshmallows talking about what everyone is excited about for this coming school year.

Make back to school fun – Take your kids back to school shopping supplying them with all the latest and greatest outfits and school supplies.

Start routines now – Set a bedtime that will work with the school week. Make it a goal to set out all your school supplies and outfit for the day, the night before. Get lunches ready and breakfast planned the night before as well. This will make for an easy and stress free morning.

Create checklists for your kids – If your children have chores, make a checklist and keep it on the fridge. A checklist is a great idea to get your kids back into the school routine. The night before checklist can include setting out clothes for tomorrow and getting their backpack packed with their homework and necessary school items needed the next day. The next morning checklist can include getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast and so forth.

Plan out your child’s transportation to school – If you are driving your kids to school, do a test run before school starts to see exactly how long it will take to drive to school in the morning. If they are taking the bus or carpooling, make sure to have schedules planned out in advance.

Happy back to school time! We wish everyone a wonderful and prosperous school year!

Summer is officially over and it is time for the kids to go back to school.  After a long rested summer vacation, kids are usually ready to get back into a routine and The Lawhead Team would like to share some tips to get them ready for the new school year.

Back to school tips:

School students need sleep: Students need at least nine hours of sleep to be healthy. Reestablish the bedtime and mealtime routine at least one week before school starts. Stagger bedtimes for kids of different ages.

Start the school day with a healthy breakfast: When your kids eat breakfast, they will do better in school, be more active and eat fewer calories throughout the day. Try to have healthy breakfast food in the house, such as fruits, eggs and yogurt, but any breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. To give their brains the kick start they need, make sure that whatever they eat in the morning has protein and fiber.

Involvement should be encouraged: Whether your child is a star football player or a chess superstar, encourage him or her to get involved in school. Extracurricular activities usually have a grade point average minimum and promote studying.  Forty-six percent of uninvolved students failed one or more classes, while only 23 percent of involved students failed a class, according to an Idaho study.

Pack a lunch and avoid cafeteria food: Your child’s cafeteria lunch food may seem like the easiest way for him or her to have lunch, but it’s not the healthiest. Instead, encourage your son or daughter to make his or her own lunch the night before. Buy healthy and delicious sandwich ingredients – stay away from processed foods – and help him or her create an ideal lunch.

Plan ahead, don’t procrastinate: When everything is planned the night before, your children will be less stressed in the morning (and won’t fall asleep worrying). Don’t wait to the last minute to prepare for school. Before the school year starts, have your child go through his or her room to see which school supplies he or she has and which ones he or she needs. And the same goes for school clothes.  Americans spent an average of $7.2 billion in family clothing stores in August 2009, according to the U.S. Census. Clean out closets and dressers to find those forgotten clothes that still fit.

Schedule a preventative checkup at the Doctor’s office: Your son or daughter may not be sick during the summer, but it’s the best time to get preventative checkups. Take a day off of work and schedule dental and physical appointments. One summer checkup could keep your children healthy and stop them from missing school.

Watch for mental health issues: Look for changes in your child’s behavior, especially if he or she is a teenager. Watch for eating disorders or depression and talk to your child if you notice something unusual or different.

Leave the TV off: During the final weeks of summer, encourage your child to play quiet games, do puzzles, use flash cards or read instead of watching television. These quiet activities will help ease him or her into the school routine.

Take your children to get immunized: Vaccines and immunizations are required for most public school, but call your child’s school to learn about any new vaccine requirements. And if you’re unsure if your child has been vaccinated, check with your family’s pediatrician to make sure your child is up-to-date.

Be excited for your kids to go back to school: Many kids are nervous about going back to school, so be enthusiastic about your kids’ return. Talk to your kids about the upcoming school year and once the year starts, listen to them as they talk about their day. Be supportive and encouraging.