08/23/2026
A great Back to School reminder 📚 ✏️
Back at It
Dan Seaborn
Summer is beginning to draw to a close. I’m sure we’ll still have some nice warm days in the weeks ahead, but the mornings feel a little chillier lately and the change is in the air. Some kids are back in school already, while others will be starting up again very soon. The transition from summer into fall can be a tough change or a welcomed one, depending on your perspective. For students who were enjoying camps, trips, sports, and beaches, it’s a tough transition to head back to a structured environment like a classroom. For parents who have been chauffeurs, coaches, and funders of trips and activities, a return to a regular schedule may be a pretty big relief.
What I want to remind everyone is that transitions can be challenging. People tend to get used to routines and set their expectations for the future based on what they’ve gotten used to doing in the recent past. In other words, when your teenagers need to start waking up to an alarm every morning for school, it won’t be surprising if they’re not in a great mood at the breakfast table during this adjustment period. And when your younger kids still expect to hang out with friends every day instead of doing homework, that won’t be surprising either.
What might throw some parents off is that your pre-work routine will probably be thrown off as well. Now you’re not just trying to get yourself up and ready for the day, you’re managing multiple people’s process of getting ready. Even if the kids are old enough to do everything on their own, they are likely to be dragging a bit as they get back into the swing of things.
Now that I’ve explained how the transition will change some things in your home, I want to encourage you to be as patient as you can during this period. Yes, I know that it’s easy to feel like kids should be grateful for an extended time off rather than being upset about it coming to a close. Yes, I know that teens and adolescents should be able to get themselves ready and keep to a schedule. Yes, I know that when a home environment is filled with stress, frustration, and angst, that is unpleasant. My kids are grown and out of the house now, but I can vividly remember some of those mornings when it just felt like every single thing turned into a huge issue. I’m not trying to minimize the frustration or the exasperation that you’re likely to feel during those chaotic moments. But what I am trying to do is to remind you that if you bring more frustration, exasperation, or chaos to the mix, it will not be likely to bring about the positive and peaceful results that you’re hoping for. Unfortunately, I know that from personal experience!
So, I’m asking everybody to remember that transitions are not easy. Your kids are experiencing a mix of excitement and anxiety as they think about all that school means. They get to be around their friends, but they’re also around the people who give them a hard time. They like and excel in some subjects but dread and struggle with others. They want to wear the right things and say the right things, but they’re not sure how to do that. It’s no surprise that they’re bouncing off the walls one minute and sulking the next. In the midst of all of this change and emotion, a little patience from the adults around them goes a long way!
