It’s that time of year again.

As a youth minister for over two decades, this was a big time for me. I planned several incredible back to school events (at least, I thought they were incredible…). I spent a lot of time visiting kids and encouraging them as they entered a new grade, and a new phase of life.

But as a homeschool family, it never really affected us that much. That was mainly due to the fact that we kept a somewhat reduced school schedule throughout the summer.

Until this year…

We’ve decided to allow our oldest daughter the opportunity to attend public school. This is a big change for us, since we’ve never had to deal with such a dramatic shift in our schedules and activities.

We are pretty confident that her faith and maturity are both at the level that she will do well, and we are sure that she is ready for such a step.

But I’m not so sure that I’m ready for such a step…

I’m thankful for All Pro Dad, and several articles they’ve provided to help us dads as we help our kids get back to school.

This has been a huge help to me as I’ve tried to figure out how to best help my daughter adjust to a new schedule in her life, as well as our whole family.

The reality is, we simply don’t know what to expect. We’ve never been through this before. My wife and I have both experienced it as students, years ago, but this is a fresh, new step for our daughter.

I see my role, my attitude, and my encouragement to her as most critical over the next few weeks. She will be stressed and doing her best to adjust to a new thing. My actions and words will either contribute to her stress, or help her overcome it. I know what I’ll be striving for.

Whether you are a homeschool dad, or your kids attend public school, there are several excellent pieces of advice contained in this article, and the connected links at the end of it.

Take a look, and take heart during this stressful time of year. Your kids will handle it well because they see you handling it well.

Stay strong, and make the most of this time with your kids!

Be deliberate, Dad!

What do you do to eliminate back to school stress in your home and family? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.