It is approaching “school days” and we need to consider Back to School Creative Ways to Motivate your Kids.
As many blogging moms know, parenting and the at-home work life must peacefully coexist.
If you blog professionally, most likely you don’t work in a traditional office workspace.
This means your kids often aren’t far away.
And keeping them busy so you can blog and make money can be a bit…challenging.
School days are around the corner again, though.
And while the extra quiet daytime working hours equal lots of productivity, transitioning away from summer fun and looser schedules may be a tough time for some kids.
This transition also may be tough on you, too, as you adjust your work schedule to accommodate different school schedules, sports practices and other commitments.
And, of course, back to school also brings homework assignments, projects, reports and test prep.
If your kids love school and sit down without fuss to do their homework, then your battle has been won.
However, if your kids resist opening up their books or completing math worksheets, the parenting drama is oh so real.
Once the dust settles and kids become established and comfortable with their new teachers and classes, the school year schedule becomes the new normal routine.
If your kids struggle in the beginning, though, provide a little motivation and positive reinforcement to help ease the transition between summer fun and school-year serious.
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Set a Schedule…And Include Downtime
Schedules help kids know what is expected of them and what comes next.
A child’s school day is set and remains consistent from day to day.
Try to emulate this pattern at home with your own schedule.
Block out times for homework, reading and studying.
You may want to designate a certain time for dinner each night, as well.
Don’t forget to pencil in any after-school activities, practices or even doctor appointments.
And always give kids plenty of time to just be kids.
Maybe this means screen time, game time or an hour or two to play outside with friends.
The entire day cannot and should not be all work and no play.
Let kids have fun…and make sure they have plenty of free time to unwind and relax.
Give Rewards
Not every child loves to read.
Every child is different, and for some, reading is a brutal struggle.
Kids who need an extra nudge to read at night may benefit from a rewards system.
Create a goal chart or progress chart and set rewards to accompany a child’s progress.
Goals and rewards can be individualized for each child.
Just make sure the reward fits the accomplishment.
A $200 toy for reading for a week might be going overboard!
Enjoy the Weekend
The weekend is a break for everyone.
Parents don’t head to work, kids don’t go to school. On the weekend, give kids (and you!) a break.
Do something fun, sleep in, get outside and play at a park.
When the weather is a mess, get creative indoors; indulge kids with candy crafts or bake up some tasty treats.
Whatever you do on the weekend, make sure everyone has a much-needed break!
These are some great Back to School Creative Ways to Motivate your Kids.
Use Your Words!
When our kids are small, we always tell them to “use your words.”
But we need to do the same.
When kids do something wonderful or unexpectedly sweet, we need to use our words to tell them how wonderful they really are to us! Compliment your kids.
Praise their good choices, their great grades, a good team effort and their helpful habits.
Use your words to paint their world positive!
The weeks of summer vacation may be dwindling, but there is still one more month left of relaxation and fun.
When school starts, though, we flip to a new schedule. Use these Back to School Creative Ways to Motivate your Kids.
Help your kids—and you!—adjust to the back-to-school schedule by making a schedule of your own.
A few changes and a lot of positive energy will help kids ease into their school routine…and make your working life much easier, too.
Related reading; Back to School Launch Pad, How to Organize the Kids Room and First Day of Homeschool.
