WHAT BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON REVEALS ABOUT A FAMILY’S CHILDCARE NEEDS
September hits HARD.
Bundles of new school supplies. Sticky notes of reminders are posted everywhere. A previously empty monthly calendar from the summer begins to fill with daily obligations as the air begins to cool outside. Back-to-school season is full of excitement, fresh beginnings, and the start of a new chapter. It’s our annual reminder that our children are learning, growing, and thriving. As exciting as this time of year is, it can also be a source of stress and anxiety, especially for parents.
Back-to-school season can feel like a sudden wake-up call from those more relaxed days of summer. For some, it’s a welcome return to routine and structure. For others, it’s a dreaded restart. No matter what side you’re on, this time can still come with challenges and adjustments. Saying goodbye to the flexibility of summer to welcome the rigor of fall schedules can take some time to adjust to. Back-to-school can be a pressure point for families, as the dynamics are shifting into a new season.
Although stressful and busy, back-to-school time can also reveal a great deal about the current structure within a family, making it a helpful tool for parents to use in assessing their family’s dynamics. By using the back-to-school transition as an analytic tool, you can restructure your lives in the best interest of every family member. The annual return to school exposes hidden weaknesses in a family's childcare system, causing parents to ask themselves: “Is this setup actually sustainable?”
THE SHIFT FROM SUMMER TO SCHOOL: A CHANGE IN RHYTHM
There are so many factors that contribute to the busyness that expose a family’s childcare needs. School starting back is a huge contributing factor, especially if your children are at different schools, as the dropoff and pickup times might overlap. Between all of the extracurriculars, packed lunches, after-school snacks, school supplies, orientations, meetings, homework, and more, there is so much to juggle and keep up with. The schedule shift alone from earlier mornings (which makes for earlier bedtimes) can feel like a shock to the system.
The shift from the flexibility of summer to the structure of the school year isn’t a negative thing; it’s just an adjustment period. This adjustment period reveals a lot about a family’s childcare needs. If there are gaps that need filling, these will become apparent almost immediately.
CHILDCARE GAPS REVEALED
Most of the childcare gaps that will be revealed the quickest are logistical in nature. The logistics tend to be the most time-sensitive or immediately urgent. To put it simply, if there are gaps in coverage, your children won’t receive proper care. For example, making sure a parent, nanny, or sitter is picking up a child from school or receiving children from the bus at the end of the school day is vital for child safety.
Children also need reliable transportation to and from their many extracurricular activities throughout each week. It’s also worth mentioning that an over-dependence on one caregiver can lead to burnout, so it’s important to assess not just having proper childcare coverage, but the workload on each caregiver to find a good balance. Behavioral changes may serve as an indicator of the need for increased childcare solutions. A nanny can offer childcare with relational connection on a more individualized and thorough basis than a group care option, such as after-school care programs. Emotional needs require more than just supervision. Making sure you have a proper gauge of each child’s emotional and developmental needs is imperative for ultimate success and nurturing for all.
ANALYZING QUESTIONS
All parents need to assess their childcare situation to determine if any gaps need to be filled. When you’re already at max capacity and exhausted, it might even be hard to know what questions to analyze. We’ve compiled some for you below that you can ask yourself and your partner!
Is our current childcare situation sustainable for the long run? Think of how you’re currently feeling and picture the longevity of your current circumstances.
Are the logistical aspects of our routines (drop-offs, pick-ups, etc) causing extra stress?
Are our children thriving in our current childcare situations and routines?
Do we need more after-school help?
What’s our plan for sick days, early dismissal, or days with no school?
Are we placing too much on one family member or caregiver?
Is our current setup causing tension or burnout in our family?
COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS: A CHILDCARE RESET
A childcare reset is the action of stepping back and analyzing what’s working and what’s not in your current childcare arrangement, and making a plan that benefits everyone involved. Adding after-school help, shifting responsibilities, or communicating clearly with your caregiver can help reduce daily stress and create a more supportive routine for kids and parents. Redistributing responsibilities will help you to create a healthier balance for all members of your family. Recognizing the need for a childcare reset is half the battle. Most of the time, it will be quite obvious that your family needs a childcare reset because you will see stress signals popping up more than usual in both the children and adults in your home.
TIME FOR A RESET!
The beginning of a new school year is a busy yet exciting time. Every family has different logistical concerns, but with intentionality and creativity, you'll find the right balance for your family. Analyzing and determining your family’s childcare needs is a process, so don’t worry if you don't immediately have all the answers. Take it one scenario and one question at a time.
By evaluating (and reevaluating) your childcare circumstances now, you can prevent stress further on in the school year. Are you already feeling stretched too thin this year? It’s okay; you are not alone! Book a “Fall Childcare Reset” with us and let us help you troubleshoot, adjust, and build a childcare setup that works for your family’s personalized needs.