There’s nothing like getting the kids back to school and into a better routine. By the end of very long summer I was always delighted to see my five children return to school and into a better routine. Don’t get me wrong I love my children but I knew I needed to get them into a better routine. Routines always seemed to fall to the wayside during the summer holidays.

In order to get things back to somewhat normality we need to begin now to establish a new routine. Think planning and organization before the big day arrives. This maybe also about adding some new ground rules if your teen is off to secondary school (high school) for the first time.

It’s easier to deal with a few cranky weeks now than in those first few weeks. But how do you get them back into a routine after a long summer break?

Your Have Homework Parents!

Start these a few weeks before your child goes back to school.

1. Start a bedtime schedule Yes, I know, but even if you bring bedtime back by 5/10 minutes each night it will be better by the time they go back. As an adult we know how cranky we get when we are tired. So do our children. Remember that they don’t have our coping skills.

1. Bedtime schedules might be helped with a summer camp in the last week before school starts. If your child is not use to getting up early yet then this will give them some structure to their day again. You will have to check if there are any camps running near you because of the pandemic. Even if they are not, try some family days out that mean everyone has to get up earlier.
2. Safety first is a very important part of preparing for the first day of any school term. You want your children to know traffic safety as well as physical safety. Young children should know their name, how to spell it if possible, their home telephone number or your mobile number. Plus the name and number of a safe and responsible adult that is designated by their parents.
3. Let’s talk bullying: Teach your child the proper way, in advance, to deal with bullies by reporting them to a teacher. Know your school’s policy on bullying in person and online. For more information about effects of bullying  Spunout
4. Also make sure they know how to keep themselves safe online. Check out my blog 20 Tips To Keep Your Family Safe Online.
5. Talk with your children about their feelings and invite them to participate in a conversation that gives them some sense of control. Never embarrass/discount/demean your children’s feelings. Ask them how they would like to be helped in this transition. What things you can do and they can or want to do for themselves to make the first day of school a pleasant beginning (Age appropriate). This is called the empathic process, and if you invest children in the discussion, they are more likely to follow a smooth outcome and go happily to school.
6. Have a discussion with your child about morning routines, again age appropriately. What has worked for all of you last year? What went wrong? Discuss your morning routine with your child. Remember children and teens don’t have your capacity to solve problems like you do. The point is to come up with effective strategies together so everyone is cooperating. Yes it will take some time to get a routine that suits your family. So have patience and allow for mistakes.
7. Plan healthy lunches and snacks. Get to know your school’s policy on healthy lunches. Tip: Try to get these packed the night before. Older children can make their own lunches. This was always a big help in the mornings if I did this. Make children responsible for getting their lunch into their bags in the morning.
8. Organize clothing. A little holiday declutter will help as well as a reorganization of their rooms if needed. Get them on board for this, particularly teens. Let them know what you expect but allow them to keep their rooms as they please. Give them supplies they need, wastepaper basket, laundry bin, desk, shelves, etc. You could ask them to tackle one thing at a time. For example only tackle one type of clothing today and only keep what makes you happy. Sometimes items have happy memories for that child but no longer fit. You can frame it or keep it in a box of keepsakes in the wardrobe. A box of things to be decided upon later can also be kept in the wardrobe. Make sure it has a date on it for 6 months time and if you haven’t used it by then, it’s gone!
9. Make sure kids have an easy system in place for clothes. They might find it too hard to hang up clothes. But they can place them in cubby holes or drawers. Having hanging cubby holes in the wardrobe instead of hangers.
10. A routine of keeping certain things done in their bedroom should be taught from a young age. So keeping clothes off the floor or bed, cups to be brought down to the kitchen after use, rubbish in a waste basket. You can make this part of the house rules. You are teaching them life skills when you teach them to clean a home and also respect for property. But sometimes you have to allow them to suffer the consequences before the message gets through.
11. Set up a central staging area. One area where school bags, shoes, PE gear and coats are placed the night before school. If it’s ready in the evening then getting everyone out the door in the morning will be less stressed.
12. Update medical records. Do they need boosters? A check-up, a dentist appointment, etc? Make sure you have filled in the school’s forms as well. They need to know your up-to-date contact details and any allergies or medication your child has.
13. Allocate a school home work area with supplies and a home policy on this. We always had an after school policy on this with the children. Again it’s up to you but for older children and teens get them onboard.
14. Friends reconnect: If they have some friends they haven’t seen in a while make sure your child gets to connect with them before school starts.
15. Don’t over schedule them children need time off to just play. Make sure they get to do the activities they love too. But also they need down time, where they can just chill and relax for stress relief too.

Finally, give yourself a break! For most of us it’s always a stressful time. So plan for that and don’t lose your patience with yourself and your children. Take some time out during this time for you too to reduce your stress levels.

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.