Some posts contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information!
I have received information and materials from JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER, Inc., McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division, LLC. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post. #PositivelyPrepared #BacktoSchool #CollectiveBias
This summer, we were so excited for the break! Trips to the pool and splash pad, some small family trips, my son’s birthday, watching the stars at night, and sleeping in were all things we had fun doing. Summer is fun and busy and always flies by really fast.
Except the last two weeks until school starts. To me, it feels like a snail pace! The rest of the days zoomed right past us and now I find I really cannot wait for school to start. My kids have entered the “I’m bored and expect to have my days filled with endless fun and Mom better do something or we’re going to drive her nuts!” phase and I really am done with it already. Am I the only one?
This year, my oldest is starting first grade. FIRST GRADE. He’s growing so quickly! But, he’s pretty nervous for all day school. He’s only ever gone to school for 3 hours and now he’ll be gone for 7. We’ve been working on making it sound positive and fun. I have no doubt that he’ll end up loving it.
But there is one thing we’ve been concerned with and that’s his bedtime routine. The kid does NOT go to bed well and has a hard time waking up in the mornings. Last year, he’d be up until 10 or 11 some nights and wake up at 7 for school. We worried about his lack of sleep and wondered how we could help him relax at night so sleep didn’t become even more of a problem.
After brainstorming and trying out some things, we found these tips that helped our son. I also decided to make a printable that we could use at bedtime that would let him be more in control of his routine without us having to tell him what to do. He is Mr. Independent after all!
Here are some tips to help your kids get ready for a good night’s sleep when going back to school.
- Start by having two “bedtimes”: When we said it was time for bed, it was usually just around the time that they should have been sleeping. Seriously, what were we thinking? Kids need time to get ready and they always do better if they have a heads up that something is coming. So, we implemented two bedtimes. The first is when we want them to start getting ready and the second is the time we want them in bed and, hopefully, going to sleep. After some trial and error, we ended up doing the first time 45 minutes before the second bedtime.
- Have a fun bedtime checklist! You can use the printable I’m including or make your own! My boys are 4 and 7 and at the age that they like to do things for themselves. With this checklist, they can see what they need to do without us barking at them to get it done. It saves us from having fights too!
- Get things ready for the next day: This includes getting clothes ready, backpacks ready, being sure to check that homework is finished, slips are signed, etc. My husband usually helps get my oldest ready in the mornings and if I don’t have the clothes out, I end up having to find them myself anyway. My boys, including the hubby, aren’t that great at finding things, lol! And there were times last year that I forgot to check homework and his backpack to make sure we had important things ready and we ended up being rushed to get them together. Plus, if you know things are ready, it adds peace of mind to both you and the kids.
- Read A Book: We love reading with our kids. But some nights, they also like to look things up on Daddy’s phone with him to learn something. If they have a question about clouds for example, and we don’t have a book about it, we look it up on YouTube and learn for about 5 minutes. They really love it and it helps them settle down.
- Have a “5 Minute Talking” Session: I have found that some of my favorite talks with my kids come when they are laying down in bed. They can really just start talking about any and everything, including things they don’t normally bring up in the day time. If I give them 5 minutes of cuddling or just sitting on the bed next to them, they really love the conversation and it helps to get their thoughts and the things that are bothering them out in the open.
In addition to our nighttime routine, we have been getting ready for school with our shopping: clothes, school supplies, lunch ideas… Plus, I have been adding to an area that I sometimes overlook, our medicine cabinet. With school starting, it means more aches and pains, colds and bugs, and it’s never fun to have to run out in the middle of the night to get medicine for a fever.
Target has been my favorite place to grab all of our school supplies, including the items that will help with our new aches and pains. Get positively prepared with the right pain relief for you and your family at Target.
For the kiddos, I snagged Children’s MOTRIN®. It helps your kids bounce back by relieving their pain or fever with Children’s MOTRIN®. For high fever, nothing works faster or lasts longer among OTC brands. It lasts up to 8 hours which is perfect for helping them get a good night’s sleep. I have been using it for years and love how great it works! Available as Bubble Gum, Grape and Berry flavors. For Children ages 2 to 11 years. Use only as directed.
And while we always think of the kids for back to school, what about us parents? I can tell you that I end up with aches and pains myself at the end of the day! Headaches, back aches, joint pain… I guess I’m getting old!
To help with muscles aches, I snagged Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream. It temporarily relieves the minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with: simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises and sprains. This product is intended for adults and children 12 years and older. Use only as directed. It’s exactly what I need!
And to help me sleep, because sometimes the pains and worries of the day make it hard to do so, I made sure to grab TYLENOL® PM. It’s the #1 doctor recommended brand for pain with sleeplessness. It contains pain reliever and a nighttime sleep aid so that you can have better rest to be a better you in the morning! Temporary relief of occasional headaches and minor aches and pains with accompanying sleeplessness.For adults and children 12 years and older. Use only as directed.
So now that I’m set for back to school, it’s just a waiting game and time to get our routine down at night! We all need better rest, especially the kids, and we are hoping it helps on our journey with First Grade!
What are you doing to help your kids get ready for school?
Snag your printable bedtime checklist here:
