Great tips to make Back to School easier.

Backpacks, school supplies, bus schedules, and after-school activities. Those are just some of the things you think about when gearing up your child for a new school year. But what are the most important things parents should focus on doing now before school session starts.

Tip 1: Read

It's one of the best ways to keep a child's mind sharp when he or she is not in school.

One activity that I enjoy doing with my kids is spending an afternoon at our local library or bookstore. Both of my kids were really excited to get their own library cards, too.

Tip 2: Make sure your child gets enough sleep

Sleep experts from the National Sleep Foundation say that kids need their rest to perform well at school. Follow their practical tips for setting your kids’ back-to-school sleep clocks at least two weeks before the school year begins. This is a tough one but usually my kids have had a pretty active day so they are ready for the bed time routine to start.

Tip 5: Practice handwriting and spelling

Kids who don’t write during the summer have to relearn to write (and spell) when school starts. If anything, have them write two sentences about what they've done that week/want to do during the upcoming week etc.  Correct the spelling and ask for neat handwriting. This is BY FAR the hardest one to get my kids to do. I find that after breakfast is a great time and they are less rushed then if I wait until later in the day.

Following these tips will surely make getting back in the school routine easier on everyone!