Getting Back into the Swing of Things with School-Year Resolutions

The morning air is crisp. Pencils are sharpened. Folders and papers are smooth and organized. And just like new shoes have a little room to grow, so do our lives in this back-to-school season. It’s time for a fresh start, and it’s the perfect time to set some school-year resolutions!
 
Resolutions made in January often come from reflection on a previous calendar year, and for many, might come from a source of unhappiness or stress, coming off a hectic holiday season. Individuals often want to make more drastic changes (e.g. “I’m going to lose 20 pounds, so I’m never eating sweets again!”). Those individual/personal resolutions might be somewhat easier to implement, but since families are already in the routine of the school year (with all their individual moving parts and schedules), it can be more challenging to make changes as a family unit. The summer season likely slows us all down a bit, giving us the ability to think more clearly, forecast and dream up our ideals for how we might want our lives to run when school starts again. And that time is here again, now.

The idea of school year resolutions isn’t a new one. In her book Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin describes “September as the other January”, as she created her own “happiness project” that spanned only the months of school year. She stated, “September, for many people, marks a fresh start and a new beginning, so it’s good to think about changes to make with this clean slate.” To read more, go to gretchenrubin.com, or to hear more, listen to her Happier podcast, Episode 129 with September is the Other January in the the title, at gretchenrubin.com/podcasts.

A September 24, 2016 Wall Street Journal article by Anne Marie Chaker also speaks to school year resolutions in its title alone: September is the Real New Year: More than just back-to-school; people improve routines, consider career moves and join the gym.

And in 2015, Pearson and NBC teamed up to coordinate the School Year Resolution Program, which consisted of resolutions from thousands of parents, students, educators, grandparents, celebrities and public figures. Examples of such resolutions included

• “to help my children deal with their emotions”;

• “to get all my homework done before I watch YouTube, etc., and stop procrastinating so much.”

To read more examples and view video clips, click here!

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I am constantly thinking about the changes that are taking place in my clients’ schedules and lives and how I can best support them and their families during this transition to a new school year. Occupational therapists consider a person’s occupational profile, which consists of a “client’s history and experiences, patterns of daily living, interests, values and needs” to guide their practice (AOTA, 2014). Part of this profile includes analyzing performance patterns of engagement – routines, roles, habits and rituals – and how they change over time (like how they are changing now!), while also considering the environment, context and client/family’s goals. 
 
Take this opportunity to think about your family’s patterns in daily life, how they are shifting, and where opportunities for change come into play. As a parent of two school-age children, thoughts ranging from establishing ease in morning and bedtime routines, to the amount and variety of afterschool and weekend activities, to the nights we can be home to have dinner as a family, etc. replay each day in my mind. 

To set a resolution, think of an ideal or goal, and behind each a goal, think about the intention for that resolution to give further meaning to “why” you have set this goal. Consider individual roles, habits and rituals and how they influence each other.