After six long weeks, the date is nearly here - soon, all the kids will be going back to school. For some, this means a sigh of relief after a stressful period of looking for childcare and keeping them entertained. For others, the stress isn't yet over as the back-to-school period can be just as bad a time as any other. However, we have some tips so the whole process can be simple and pain-free.
Start Early - If you think the first week of waking the children up for school is going to be hard, why not start early and mold their sleeping pattern the week before? If you start getting them up earlier and earlier towards the end of the holidays, you will find that the first week will be a lot easier. Although it seems kind, letting them sleep in on their last week is a big mistake because the first week of school will hit them like a train.
Music - Remaining on the theme of getting them out of bed, a good tip is to play some music and have certain deadlines after songs. Choose a fun CD that you all enjoy listening to and say things like ‘after track number three, you all need to be down here for breakfast’. This way, they feel as though they still have a little control over when they arrive at the breakfast table rather than being shouted at and having water poured on their faces.
Prepare Early - Although the kids have to get their mindset back into ‘school mode’, you also have to get back into certain habit. Therefore, you might find it easier to prepare a little earlier in the first few weeks. For example, get everything ready the night before so there isn't one manic rush in the morning. If possible, get all clothes ready and even make up as much as you can of the lunchbox.
Write Lists - The back-to-school period is enough to turn even the most organised person in the world to a forgetful mess so if you need it, write a few lists down. Whether you stick it on your fridge or write it in your phone, a few simple lists will ensure that your child doesn’t go back to school in last year’s scuffed shoes.
Be Strict Early - For the kids, summer is great because they have had endless hours of computer games and TV shows but this has to change. Early on, they have to realise that school is the priority and homework comes first. With this in mind, you should restrict TV early in the school year just so they get back into the ‘homework comes first’ mindset. After a couple of weeks, they should be back into the swing of things and summer will feel like a distant memory.
These are five simple tips to make the back-to-school period a little less stressful; if you follow these, you should find it easier. Whether you choose to follow them or not, good luck!
