Parents Talk: How Do You Get Kids Ready for Back to School?

Hi parents!

Bolingbrook Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for moms and dads and their families right here in Bolingbrook.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Today's topic: How do you get your kids ready for going back to school?

Summer is great isn't it? Sleeping in. Taking your kids to the zoo, aquarium or other fun summer activity? 

But soon enough—Aug. 23 to be exact—the days of summer will be gone and kids will be going back to school. That means waking up and going to sleep at an earlier time, making sure homework is done and limited hours for a kid to be a kid.

WebMD says it's good to plan early:

It’s important to recognize that transitioning from the relaxed schedule of summer to the structure of the school year is a process, says David Swanson, PsyD, a child and family psychologist practicing in Los Angeles and author of HELP-- My Kid is Driving Me Crazy, The 17 Ways Kids Manipulate Their Parents and What You Can Do About It.

If you wait until the night before school starts to get the kids to bed on the early side, don’t expect a smooth morning. “Parents make the mistake of waiting until the last minute,” Swanson says.

WebMD also offers five other tips for waking your kids up in time for school, which you can read by clicking HERE.

But what are your tips? How do you get your children ready? And better yet, how do you get yourself ready for the new school year? 

Chime in below to help some area parents that are going through this process for the first time.