AD| Getting your kids ready to go back to school is always a challenge, but 2021 presents many unique obstacles. As the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread, it prevents most schools from their planned-on normal reopenings. Thankfully, there are still many ways you can help your kids jump into this unusual school year.

Check Your Kids’ Immunization Records

Making sure that your kids are current with their vaccinations is crucial for their health, especially if they haven’t been around other children for a while. Ask your doctor about the best immune booster for kids, and check with their schools about required vaccinations. If your children are over 12, consider having them vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Get Ready for Flu Season

Flu season was almost nonexistent last year thanks to mask-wearing and social distancing, but that’s unlikely to be the case in 2021. As soon as your pharmacy offers flu vaccines, have all your kids inoculated. Bad colds are also likely to circulate this year, so stock up on cough drops and medicine. Look through Wellements cough syrup reviews until you find the perfect organic medicine for your family, and don’t forget plenty of tissues and sanitizing wipes. 

Think About Their Sleep Schedules

In the summer, it’s easy to get in the habit of staying up late and waking up even later, particularly after such a hard winter. If you don’t prepare your kids for their school sleep schedules, though, the first week of school will be full of grumpiness, late wake-ups, and unplanned afternoon naps. Do some research on the optimal sleep schedule for your kids. For example, the best sleep patterns 3 to 5 years last 10 to 12 hours every night.

Once you’ve determined how much sleep your kids need, start easing them into their new schedule. Send them to bed half an hour earlier every week until they’re going to bed at the right time. To help them drift off, impose a no-electronics rule for an hour before bed, and make sure all their lights are off. During the day, emphasize plenty of physical activity and, unless they’re younger than five, try to keep them from napping.

Shop for Supplies Early

Shopping for school supplies the night before school begins is a sure way to stress your family out. A week or two before the first day, take a few shopping trips to get all the notebooks, binders, folders, pens, pencils, and art supplies that your kids need. For high schoolers, watch out for special requirements such as graphing calculators and lab equipment. If you have a big family, try taking one or two kids at a time so that they don’t get overwhelmed.

As you shop, don’t forget about the unique back-to-school essentials for 2021. Make sure that everyone has plenty of masks, especially if you use cloth ones and don’t do laundry every day. Also, buy some extra hand sanitiser and put one in each kid’s backpack.

Encourage your kids to start the 2021 school year off right with these tips.