After nearly two years of having your kids deal with remote and hybrid school, many are now finally getting the opportunity to go back to school full-time.

While exciting on so many different levels, it comes with its own types of anxieties and stresses for both your kids and yourself.

Chances are, you’ve finally nailed down a routine that worked during the pandemic and everyone in the household got used to the new normal. Now, it’s all getting switched up all over again.

So how do you prepare for the unexpected once again? While your kids will be familiar to some extent with going to school, they will still be in for a new experience with many unexpected things sure to pop up.

Luckily, your kids are resilient and children, in general, are quite adaptable to change. However, there is still a range of things that you can do to help take care of your kids as they go back to school. We’ve rounded up the top tips to ensure that their well-being—both physical and mental—are well looked after.

Get Your At-Home Pharmacy Ready
After so much time social distancing, your kid’s immune system is likely going to be in for a real shock when they go back to in-person learning and are surrounded by new germs they haven’t built up a tolerance to yet. That, and the fact that kids tend to play hard at school and are also prone to get hurt on the playground. So you should have your at-home pharmacy ready with acetaminophen for kids. This clean medicine will help your kid feel better when it comes to managing their fevers, aches and pains.

Keep Your Makeshift At-Home Classroom
Just because your kid is going back to school does not mean that they will likely be there every single day. In fact, many schools have rules in place where kids will have to learn at home if someone else in the class tests positive for Covid-19. Plus, you yourself may come down with Covid or some other illness on your return to your own workspace, meaning your kid will need to stay home too. But just because your kid is at home doesn’t mean they have to miss out on classes altogether. In fact, their at-home classroom can keep them connected with their classmates and teachers through a tablet mount that steams the virtual classes in a hands-free way so they can be studious and take notes accordingly. You will also want to keep your access to online learning so that they can switch back to virtual in a snap of a finger—as that is likely how much notice you will be getting!

Upgrade Their Wardrobe
After spending a year likely attending school without uniforms, it is time to dust those polos off again and get them used to wear school-appropriate attire. And with uniforms back, comes other school essentials your kids will need for the wardrobe. We recommend getting Mallary by Matthew outerwear and undergarments for your kids. They have everything from beanies, jackets, underwear, mittens, tights and more. Your kids will be comfy and cozy in their school uniforms and enjoy wearing them with the right type of emsemble.

Start Packing Their Lunches Again
After many months of being able to prepare your kid’s lunches at home, it is now time to start pre-planning once again. That means likely prepping their lunch the night before to make the morning school run less stressful. But in addition to the act of packing their lunch, you should put extra emphasis on ensuring their lunches are jam packed with nutritious food that fuels their growth and keeps their immune system strong. If you are short on ideas or time, consider signing up for nutritious meal delivery so they can take pre-made meals out onto the schoolyard during lunchtime.

Set Goals with Your Kids
Children respond really well to goals. And it is important to set goals with your kids so they feel a purpose and motivation in the classroom—rather than feeling lost or overwhelmed. Given the fact that each kid at school has had quite a different learning experience throughout the pandemic, they will all be at a different place in their academic journey. Goals help set realistic standards for your kids and keep them focused on their own development rather than comparing themselves to others in the classroom. It is a great way to get their confidence up again and get them excited to go to school. And will give you benchmarks to celebrate them when they do achieve those goals!

Set Up Check-Ins with their Teachers
The schools will likely already have this sorted, but there is no harm in taking initiative to check in and communicate with your kid’s teachers every month or so. It will give you a good evaluation of how they are actually handling being back in school and areas you can assist with at home. While your kid may be telling you one thing, their teacher may very well be seeing a completely different scenario. Being in the know will help you address any problems that are arising and be confident that mentally your kid is doing just fine!

Get Them Into a Routine
Kids thrive in routine. So now that they are going back to school, try to schedule the day accordingly so that they can become accustomed to the new schedule. This means having homework take place at a regular hour, getting them to bed consistently at the same hour and waking them up the next morning around the same time. When your kdis know what to expect, they will likely be more engaged and confident going into the new day—and feel more prepared to head off to school.

Care for Yourself Too
Lastly, in order to properly care for your kids as they go back to school, you need to care for yourself as well. After getting to spend the last couple of years with your kids at home by your side, you will likely be going through a whole range of emotions. It is important to acknowledge those and let yourself mourn if you feel really sad your kid is going back to school. It is also important to try to stay as relaxe as possible with the new routine. While there are health stresses that are very present in society still, know that you are capable to handle anything that is thrown your way. Just look at how wlell you’ve managed to cope the last year considering everything! So give yourself some credit and look after yourself too. It is all going to be okay.

So as your kid gets ready to head back to school, take a deep breath and know you’ve got this! From getting your medicine cabinet stocked up with kid medicine to be aware of your kid’s mental health in addition to physical health, you are going to get thorugh this transition period just fine. Your kid will get so many positive benefits going back into a school environment and you as a parent will be delighted that they can continue to thrive and grow. Just follow these tips and enjoy the fact that finally, after so long, your kid can once again get the education they deserve.