Back to School

Well done parents – you made it!

So the summer holidays are nearly over. A million washings done, thousands of ice lollies consumed, day trips galore, numerous logistical headaches with childcare, hundreds of sibling fights, but wow…we managed to survive it and get through another school holiday.

And before we know it, it’s time to get school ready again.

Getting them back into a routine isn’t always easy but there are a few tips that can make things a little less chaotic;

Get them back into their sleep routine – Get your evenings back. For about a week before school starts back, putting the kids down to bed 10-15 mins earlier each night can help get them back into a sleeping pattern and it also gives some of that ‘me’ time back in the evening. Plus if you wake them earlier in the morning too it hopefully means the first day back at school won’t be such a shock to their system.

Check their pencil cases – Depending on your child’s age they may have a pencil case that they carry with them to school and back. It’s always a good idea to check their supplies and make sure they have everything they need for their new term.

Write their names on their school items – So you go to all the bother of buying them new school clothes, a school bag, sports gear (and all the rest!) only for them to misplace them. Labelling their clothes will help identify their items easier and hopefully avoid things going walk-abouts. Let your kids know you done it, they’ll learn how to identify what’s theirs and it gives them a little responsibility for their belongings – and with any luck it should also mean less time trawling through the school’s lost and found box!

Set a homework routine – Not the most liked word in the dictionary, but it has to get done so it’s a good idea to create some sort of routine that you can all stick to – no ifs or buts! As a parent, I find that doing homework as soon as the kids come home is much easier and much less stressful. For our family it means they can go enjoy some free time and we don’t need to rush through dinner and bath time with the stress that the dreaded homework isn’t yet completed. Everyone’s routine will be different, but hopefully you can find one that works for your family.

And finally… relax. If you get a little crazy on the first day back, chances are – they will too! So if you are already pre-empting that you’ll be rushing about like daft in the morning, try do as much as you can the night before and get up a little earlier to have your morning coffee before it’s time to wake the kids!








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