EDITORIAL: Back to School tips

By Liz Alton

As summer holidays come to an end and back-to-school season begins, it can be hard to get back into a regular schedule — for both kids and adults.

To help you out, we have provided 10 tips that parents can use to ease their kids back into school, while also managing their own stress.

The trick is to plan ahead. Read through this list and identify some strategies that you think could help you and your family stay organized and on top of things. Then, test these different approaches as a family so you can figure out which ones work for you, and which ones don't.

Finally, be sure to include your entire child care crew in your plans, too. Whether you have a babysitter, nanny, tutor or all of the above, they'll be able to help you keep your kiddo on track for the first day of school. Plus, they'll be able to take some tasks off of your plate — which means you can enter the school year with a little more of your sanity intact.

1. Set your kids' sleep schedules back to "school time" two weeks before the first day of school.
2. Get your kids involved in programs they can do after school to keep them active.
3. Visit cultural attractions like museums to shift their brains into "scholar" mode.
4. Hire an after-school sitter to help care for your kids while you're at work.
5. Encourage your kids to read at least one book before the school year begins.
6. Reacquaint your kids with the calendar schedule they'll use to manage their activities.
7. Try apps like iHomework or myHomework to help your kids organize assignments.
8. Let kids choose a planner or scheduling tool they're excited to use.
9. Set up weekly meetings to review your kids' schedules for the week(s) ahead.

10. Create a family calendar that tracks everyone's activities and commitments.