Going back to school after the holidays can be stressful for children and their parents. Here are 7 back to school hacks to help you make the return a little easier for everyone.
1. Adjust the sleep schedule a few nights before
During the holidays, especially the long summer holidays, bedtimes are often less strict. This can make it difficult to get back into a routine and harder to get up when the alarm goes off. Don’t wait until the night before school to try and get back in the habit of early nights. Start enforcing bedtimes and getting up early a couple of days before the first day back at school so that it isn’t such a shock to the system.
2. Label everything
When you’ve paid out for new school uniforms, PE kits, bags, stationery and lunch boxes, it can be frustrating when things go missing. To avoid items getting lost or mixed up, label everything. You can buy name tags to sew into clothes and use sticky labels for pencil cases, pens and books. If items do go astray, it will be easier for teachers, other parents and other students to identify who an item belongs to so they can return it.
3. Get everything ready the day before
The last thing you want is a mad rush on the first morning because things aren’t where they should be. Make sure you get bags packed, uniforms ironed and shoes out the day before so that everyone feels prepared and the morning is stress-free.
4. Plan a relaxing evening for the family
Children will often feel some anxiety about going back to school so make the night before as relaxed and fun as possible. If you’ve got everything ready during the day, you can spend the evening winding down. Have early baths, get clean pyjamas on and watch a nice movie, play a game or read a book together.
5. Get up early
Set the alarm 15 minutes earlier than usual for the first few days until everyone has got back into their morning routine. It’s better to be ready early, leave early and arrive early than to be rushing around at the last minute.
6. Make a weekly schedule
Once children have their new school schedule, make sure you record music lessons, swimming days, PE days and other activities on a weekly planner so you can make sure they have everything they need. Have a family calendar to record social events, parties, school plays and parents’ evenings so you can be organised in plenty of time.
7. Have a meal plan
Making sure that you have the right ingredients for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals can be tricky. Meal planning can help you ensure you have meals under control. Make a list of meals for each day and then list the ingredients you need to buy. You’ll be less likely to miss something or buy items you don’t need if you go shopping with a list.
We hope the above tips have given you some ideas for making the transition back to school a little easier for you and the children. The more prepared you are, the more in control you feel and the easier it is to deal with those unexpected events.
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