helping kids master responsibility for a successful school year

in this article

• how to make a schedule for success
• scheduling strategies and tips for caregivers
• free resource: make your routine fun with a checklist download

The start of a new school year is a great time to reinforce the idea of taking responsibility with the children in your life.  

When kids learn responsibility, their self-esteem grows, their sense of independence expands and they enhance their problem-solving, time management and accountability skills!   

Whether your kid is starting school for the first time or entering high school, you are probably wondering how you can encourage them to show responsibility for their schoolwork and learning. Although the name on top of the report card will be your kid’s, there are still things you can (and should) do to support them and help them build habits of responsibility for a successful school year. 

schedule for success: how to determine school responsibilities 

Being responsible for schoolwork means more than just remembering to study or doing homework, it also means creating a series of systems and practices to help a student stay organized and be prepared to put their best foot forward every day in class.  

Creating daily routines are sure to promote a successful school year and avoid future academic crises.  

It is even more helpful to create a checklist of these night, morning and afterschool routines to help remind your kid to “complete your checklist!” This will encourage independence while also providing them with support and helpful reminders. 

Here are some ways you can create these systems at different times of the day:  

Night before a school day  

Being responsible for school starts before they even wake up. Getting prepared the night before can help to avoid a stressful morning rush that is the opposite of positive and productive.  

Here are some tasks to encourage your kid to complete the night before: 

1. Set out clothes for the next day. This should also include any clothes or things needed for after-school activities.  
2. Think about lunch time. They should ask themselves questions like:  
   • Am I buying lunch tomorrow? If so, do I need to remind someone to put money on my lunch account? 
   • Am I packing my lunch tomorrow? If so, I need to pack my lunch tonight and make a reminder to bring it.  
3. Prepare bookbag by putting homework books and papers inside, then making sure it’s by the front door (or designated backpack zone) 
4. Prepare for bed by showering, brushing teeth, and doing hair.  
5. Read a book to calm down for bedtime 
6. Lights out at a decent time! 

helpful hint: Getting a good night's sleep is crucial to school success! If this is an area you could use more resources for, check out our past blogs about sleep.  

Morning time 

Time to wake up and smell the bacon (or cereal)! A simple and steady morning routine will help make sure kids are efficient during a difficult time of the day and ready to get out the door with little to rush or stress about. It’s even more helpful when these tasks are done before they are allowed to watch TV or start playing with toys. 

Here are some ways to have a successful morning routine. 

• Make sure your kid is waking up with plenty of time to get ready in the morning. Some kids may do better with an alarm clock to wake them up rather than you! If you have a no phone in the bedrooms rule, try an old-fashioned alarm clock! 
• Get dressed, all the way down to the shoes! You’ll avoid the last-minute racing around the house trying to locate shoes by putting them on ahead of time (or leaving them by the door if you are a no-shoe household).  
• Eat a filling breakfast, if you’re eating at home. 
• Brush teeth and make sure hair is done for the day  
• Put the backpack on and make sure to grab lunch if you're not buying it at school. 

Afterschool 

Responsibilities and routines don’t end when school is done. To keep a consistent habit of schedules, here are some tasks to consider putting on an afterschool list.  

• Wash all those school germs off those hands! 
• Have a snack. Helpful hint: you can have a bin of approved afterschool snacks prepared or set out what a healthy and light snack can be for the day.  
• Put any paperwork in a special spot you’ve picked for paperwork that needs your attention (like permission slips and reports cards.) This can help avoid stress and panic over last-second signatures! 
• Finish afternoon chores (to learn what are some age-appropriate chores, read more about kids and household responsibilities.) 
• Complete homework, studying or additional reading. If there are long-term projects, start working on them a little bit at time so there is no rush to finish at the last second. 
• Create time for homework as a part of your family’s routine. Make it a special, designated time for both kids and adults to sit in a common area and get work done. During this time, turn off the distractions, the television and the electronics. If your kid doesn’t need hands on help with homework, you can still sit with them and complete a quiet activity like reading. This will allow you to be available if they have questions, create an opportunity to stay in touch with what they are learning, and show them that learning does not stop once you are an adult! 

tips to make scheduling easier

• Just like everything else in parenting, teaching your kids responsibility takes time, intention, and work. It’s best to start with small tasks and build upon them as they accomplish learning new skills.  
• If we get frustrated with our kids and want them to be more responsible, we must reflect on our role as caregivers in teaching them responsibility and setting our expectations. We can’t expect our kids to have responsible study skills if we have never taught them. 
• Remember that all kids learn differently and have different abilities. We must set our expectations based on the ability of the kid, not the age or grade level.  
• Creating a system that is simple and doable will help you and your kid stay on track this school year. Having these systems in place will give you solid ground to return to when life gets hectic. Working together as a team with your kid will help lead to a successful school year! 

FREE RESOURCE: Download and fill out our Routine Checklists for

success!

For a fun way to create and follow routines, download our Routine Checklist! You can fill it out with the items you need to get done for a successful schedule!

Or make bedtime a breeze by downloading a free Bedtime Routine Checklist for Younger Kids or Bedtime Routine Checklist for Older Kids!

more resources

Learn more about helping kids master responsibility in the house by reading our previous blog. 

Discover the importance of sleep routines to mental health and wellness by reading our blog: 3 tips to help your kid get a good night's sleep!

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