Preparing for Back-to-School with Conscious Kids Entertainment Choices

As we slowly transition into the back-to-school season, reality kicks in, bringing a touch of chaos with it. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lists galore to prepare for the back-to-school rush. Or maybe you’re a mental checklist person, hoping for the best… Either way, I’m wishing you peace and smiles during this busy, potentially turbulent time.

The move from summer fun to a season of school routines and new experiences is filled with excitement and anxiety. It’s about more than just buying school supplies and a new pair of shoes—although those are definitely part of it for the kiddos. It’s about setting up routines that support our children's emotional and mental well-being while also protecting our own.

I think we’ve all been there: When they come home during that first week of school, exhausted from the brainpower they’ve used up during the day, maybe a little grumpier than usual, just begging to sit on the sofa and watch a show. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, the first few weeks of this new season can set patterns for the whole year ahead. So, while it may be easy to pop on a show and let them chill in front of the TV, if that’s not what you want to be doing the rest of the year, why not consider a different approach? Setting up conscious entertainment choices as part of your school-year prep lets you start like you mean to go on.

Conscious entertainment might sound like a buzzword (or something that’s just for “crunchy moms”). But what conscious entertainment really means is choosing content that relaxes your child while also nurturing their mind, promoting positive behaviors, and encouraging creativity. Stories and podcasts can be great options for this, as they spark your little ones’ imaginations without them needing to look at a screen. 

Choosing the right kind of entertainment can make a real difference to your child’s development and well-being. By now, many of us are aware of the stark effects that excessive screen time can have on our kids. Studies have shown that after just one hour of screen time a day , they start to experience a dip in their emotional and psychological health. They can become less curious, more distracted, and find it harder to make friends (for more on this, see our recent blog post).

So, choosing conscious entertainment for your kids can help ease their transition back to school, set a positive tone for the new academic year, and give them a chance to healthily flex their creative muscles.

But it doesn’t mean they can’t watch screens at all. (That boundary is up to you, of course, but for our house, it doesn’t mean no screens—it means low screens.) It’s about mapping healthy boundaries to make sure you’re setting your kid up for success rather than expecting them to self-regulate. If we, as adults, struggle to get off our phones, imagine how hard it is for kids with less developed rational thinking skills…

Set healthy boundaries with your kids. There’s no one-size-fits-all rule; we’ve found that this looks different for everyone and depends on individual circumstances. It might be:

• One 20-minute episode per day

• Dedicated watching days, like Tuesday and Thursday

• Screen time that’s purely reserved for family movie nights on Fridays or Saturday morning movies (our personal favorite, because who doesn’t love a quiet weekend morning?)

Whatever that boundary looks like for you, make sure you set it and keep it strong. Caving in once can lead to tantrums in the long run, so establish your boundaries and stick to them.

It’s important to balance the types of content your kids interact with. As you set up new routines, you might be tempted to go for all educational shows or podcasts. But just like we use shows to unwind in the evening, kids use them for the same reason—and that’s okay! 

We recommend finding a healthy balance between educational content and entertainment that encourages relaxation and creativity. Give your kids the opportunity to switch off; they learn a *lot* all the time, so let’s not overload them

Conscious entertainment doesn’t have to be limited to fun podcasts or stories. While these are great options, screen-free activities that promote creativity and hands-on learning, like arts and crafts, puzzles, and outdoor exploration, are just as important. Getting out in nature is crucial for our kids’ mental health and helps regulate their nervous systems. 

If there’s energy left at the end of the day, try to get outside, even if it’s just for a walk around the block. The beauty of activities like arts and crafts or puzzles is that you can even combine them with listening to kids’ podcasts or calming music, letting them develop their multitasking skills.

The key to establishing new habits is being consistent and building them into your daily routine. Routines are so important for our kids because they help them to understand the world around them and feel in control. 

They’re constantly told where they’re going and what they’re doing, so knowing their routines and keeping things consistent brings some calm to what can otherwise feel overwhelming. This could look like listening to podcasts in the morning as you eat breakfast together, an evening story during bath time… the possibilities are endless. 

The key here is consistency, and these routines will help your kids adjust more easily to the demands of the school year ahead.