Four Ways to Make the Transition Back to School Smoother

As the summer sun starts to wind down and the back-to-school season approaches, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that even transitions we eagerly anticipate can be challenging.

Here are three ways to make the upcoming transition back to school smoother for both you and your kids.⁠⁠

1. Talk about the Transition:

Talk with your children about their feelings regarding the upcoming school year. Whether it’s excitement, nervousness, frightened, or something in between, acknowledging their feelings and emotions fosters a sense of security and trust for them.

This might be a great time to share your story of 9th grade when you felt just like they are feeling and what you did that helped. For kids (and us moms), knowing you’re not the “only one feeling this way” is very helpful.

Speaking of not being the only one, TBH, most of my clients are super excited for their kids to return to school and get their routines back!

Whether you are excited or wish summer was a little longer means nothing about the type of mom you are, so stop judging how you feel about this transition and make it a good one.

2. Adjustments and Expectations:

A sudden shift from flexible summer days to structured school routines can overwhelm everyone. Start gradually by adjusting expectations and bedtime and wake-up times (for you, too)

I hear this a lot.

“Once the kids return to school, I will FINALLY have 7 hours of uninterrupted time to work on my business.”

But that’s only true, sometimes.

Just because your kids are away from home for 7 hours, interruptions still occur. Create a flexible schedule (and honor it) and start by scheduling 5 hours of work to be completed in the 7 hours you think you have. As you get their school schedule down (and yours), you will be able to do more in the same amount of time, so adjust your expectations slowly.

3. Define the Action Steps:

I encourage my clients to double-check their priorities every six months or after a significant life event. Kids going back to school and you having more time for your business is certainly a big transition.

Most often, our priorities stay the same, BUT the action steps change.

For example, one of your priorities might be the growth of your business. In the summer, your action steps to keep your business growing might be different now that you have a few more hours each day.

In the summer, your priority of health might have been

  • work out for 20-30 minutes 5 times a week
  • fruit or veggie at every meal
  • get 7 hours of sleep each night

With this transition, your priority of health might be the same, but now that your schedule has changed, what actions do you want to take to support your health goal?

  • work out 45 minutes 5 times a week
  • meal prep lunch and plan dinners
  • be in bed by 10:30

Now schedule in those actions steps!

The priorities are important, but defined action steps achieve the results!

4. Celebrate the Little Things:

As the first week occurs, celebrate anything from remembering their lunch, finishing their homework, or not falling asleep in class! Celebrate that you filled out the dreaded forms, finished a few extra SM posts, or signed a new client.

During transitions, it’s crucial to celebrate the win.

Celebrating wins fuels positivity, creates motivation, and helps shift the focus to the joys of the new experience.

Let’s make this back-to-school transition a period of understanding, growth, clarity, and getting results (in your home and your business).

Here’s to a wonderful transition ahead!

Purrspective For You

I’ve recently discovered a new and prestigious role in life as a grandCAT babysitter.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!
⁠⁠
My daughter and her husband have been out of town for the past five nights, and it’s been entertaining watching my adorable grandcat Mo…
I call him Moses or Mo bro for short! lol

This cat has been enjoying experiences that my own cat and even my own children didn’t experience, like daily treats, head rubs, and sleeping in my bedroom at night.

This experience has got me looking forward to grandparenting!

But then I thought,

“why is it that we look forward to grandparenting and (sometimes) don’t look forward to parenting with that same kind of hope, excitement, and joy?”
I think my brain found the solution!

As a grandparent, we think we’ll be able to let the “little things go” and focus on the “most important things!”

What if we can let the “little things go” and focus on the “most important things RIGHT NOW?”

We can, and here’s how!

By knowing THE ACTION STEPS of your priorities!

It’s easy to spout off priorities such as:

  • My kids, parenting
  • Business/work
  • Spirituality
  • Health
  • Relationships

BUT… that means very little if you don’t know THE WHY you’re making that thing a priority and the ACTION STEPS you will take each day to support that priority.

  • If you want to make it a priority to be an available parent, you must DEFINE the ACTIONS of an available parent.
  • If you want to make it a priority to be a parent who connects with her children, you must DEFINE YOUR ACTIONS of what it means to be an available parent (for you).
  • If you want to be a successful business owner in X amount of hours a week, you must DEFINE the ACTIONS FOR YOU of what you will do daily to become that successful business owner.

Does this make sense? If so, keep tracking!

The next step is to SCHEDULE THE ACTIONS STEPS in your day that support those priorities.

When you DEFINE THE ACTIONS, you discover

  • What to schedule
  • What to say yes to
  • What to say no to
  • Motivation and insight into precisely what you’re going to do
  • That there is no “so small stuff.”
It’s either a YES, it supports my priority (which is big) or it’s a NO, it doesn’t support a priority (and that NO is HUGE too)!

The next time you notice yourself looking forward to a future event like grandparenting, “more” time, or “more” business success, follow these steps to begin enjoying life right now!

Ready to start enjoying life RIGHT NOW?

Let’s define your priorities together!

You Gotta Know the Facts First

I was working with a client who was still not getting everything done each week despite daily planning and sticking to her schedule.

She contracts out one job and also runs her own business.

She asked if we could work on the mindset of not getting everything done, and I said sure,

BUT…

let’s understand the facts first!

We went through every task she does in her contract position and estimated the amount of time each one takes

AND GUESS WHAT??

We discovered she was working, scheduling, and planning for 5 hours a week in this position, and it takes her 10 to get it all done.

She’s not alone! This happens ALL. THE. TIME.

The good news…

So many people come to me trying to solve what they think their problem is with the wrong tools.

The first step to solving your lack of (fill-in-the-blank)

time, success, organization, revenue, etc.

is to uncover the facts and YOUR PRIORITIES so we can get to the real issue!

Focus on the Solution to Solve Your Problems!

When we focus on the problems, we often create EVEN MORE PROBLEMS and WASTE TIME!!

The next time you face a problem, notice how it’s making you feel.

DO YOU FEEL

☠️ Defeated

😡 Angry

😠 Frustrated

😱 Upset

🥹 Hopeless

THEN, STOP AND ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION.

What’s one thing I can do right now to help me feel less (state how you’re feeling)?

Now, go do that one thing.

Focusing on the solution will help you solve the problem quicker than focusing on the problem!