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Three Ways to Start the School Year Right

This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

Positive child with colorful hands by sign back to school

It’s hard to believe that Back to School time is already here again! It seems like we were just celebrating the 4th of July yesterday. (It’s still hotter than heck here, so I think that might be contributing to my denial.) I am usually a huge fan of all things Fall, but this year I’m just not feeling ready. I don’t want my reluctance to embrace everything-pumpkin-season to cause Josh to wind up having a tough start to middle school so here are three things we are committing to doing to start the school year off the right way.

We are starting off with strict electronics rules.

Photo of a teenager wearing a bonnet and eyeglasses using a smartphone

We have gotten really casual with our use of iPads. Chromebooks, and everything else electronic this summer. We are going back to basics and instituting a “no electronics on weekdays” rule. Obviously, we will make exceptions for school work that needs to be done on the computer, but no more hours of watching YouTube videos or playing games. We may revisit this rule later in the year if Josh is able to show that he is being responsible with getting his work done, but for now this is the rule.

We are practicing going to bed and getting up early.

teen sleeping

There is a certain irony to the fact that Josh has woken up every morning by 6 am until this summer. Middle school starts an hour before elementary school did and he has consistently slept in until after the start time all summer. Yes, I guess the whole tween thing is finally kicking in. We are going to try and make those early morning wake ups a little less painful by easing into them by going to bed earlier and waking up earlier leading up to the first day of school. (And yes, I am including myself in that plan!)

We are supporting our health by creating healthy habits.

kids first multi

We are planning breakfasts, lunches, and snacks ahead of time. I know myself well enough to know that if I don’t plan ahead, I’ll be running around the kitchen throwing random things in Josh’s lunch box as he is trying to get out the door. Or worse, he’ll head out with an empty stomach because there is nothing he like to eat that is easy to make quickly. We are getting in the habit of taking our vitamins with breakfast each morning. This is actually the easiest part of all of our resolutions because Nature Made® KIDS FIRST Multivitamin Gummies taste so good, Josh actually reminds me to get out the vitamins. This is a good thing because KIDS FIRST Multivitamin Gummies help fill in the nutritional gaps in Josh’s diet. They contain 12 essential nutrients for age-specific nutritional support, including vitamins A, C, D and E, B vitamins, and minerals like iodine and zinc. They also contain all natural fruit flavors and colors derived from natural sources and no synthetic dyes. Grab your own at Target!

naturemade at target

We are also trying to be better at washing our hands often and each time we come in the house. Cold and flu season is just around the corner and hand washing is one of the best defences and an important habit to get into.

What are some of your tips and tricks to start the school year off on the best foot possible?

 

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Comments | 9 comments

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Comments

  1. Julie Mason says

    September 9, 2016 at 9:34 am

    Great tips. Sleep cycle training is the best thing I can recommend. I always started about two weeks before school started. They hated it, but it helped a lot.

    Reply
  2. Heather @ Kraus House Mom says

    September 9, 2016 at 9:34 am

    These rules sound like the ones in my house. As soon as you get home, do ALL of your homework before you touch any electronics. If you’re in bed by a certain time, you can use your tablet until a given time.

    Reply
  3. Jolina says

    September 9, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    No kids so I have no wisdom to share but I love your no electronics on weekdays rule. Though maaaybe we’ll start with just a few hours a day because I don’t think we can do it lol!

    Reply
  4. Tammilee Tips says

    September 9, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    Love these tips!!! I know a lot of moms who were excited for school to start back up this year, so important to have good habits for the school year.

    Reply
  5. Neely Moldovan says

    September 9, 2016 at 3:01 pm

    Getting on a sleep routine is so important! Really for anyone.

    Reply
  6. Adriana Lopez says

    September 9, 2016 at 10:20 pm

    Sleeping well, having good nutrition and activity helps children grow correctly. Of course adding vitamins to their daily intake is also very important. Thanks for sharing your experience.

    Reply
  7. Carrie says

    September 10, 2016 at 3:05 am

    Great tips! We are still trying to find our perfect routine now that school is back in session. It is so hard to figure out because somedays my husband is their to help and somedays he isn’t. I think I need to work on my schedule and plan like he isn’t there all the time.

    Reply
  8. Ave says

    September 10, 2016 at 4:26 am

    My daughter started school this week and we are in a full back-to-school mode now! Getting up hasn’t been a problem so far, but getting ready for school has been a total mess. I have to plan the lunches too, otherwise, I’m sure I’ll forget something.

    Reply
  9. Don't Forget The Passports says

    September 10, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    Love the tips. I definitely need to get more organised with dinner and lunches, it would definitely save a lot of after work stress!

    Reply

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Maureen Fitzgerald of Wisconsin Mommy

Maureen Fitzgerald is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin influencer, brand enthusiast and strategist. She helps brands reach more potential customers through targeted consultation sessions, press coverage, product reviews and campaigns both at WisconsinMommy.com and by leveraging her blogger network. You can also see Maureen hamming it up on her YouTube channel at WisconsinMommy.tv. READ MORE...
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