Here are some tips for easing back into your routine and keeping it stress-free for everyone:
Don’t leave everything to the last minute. Make a list the week before of things you need to organise, such as finding lunchboxes, cleaning out the rotten lunch left in the school bag since last December and finding uniforms and drink bottles. Aim to have everything washed, sorted and ready the weekend before school starts.
Think ice. Freeze your child’s water bottle the night before to give them a cool drink for most of the day. And do make it water, not juice or a soft drink. Also, don’t pack anything in their lunch which may go off in the heat, such as cold chicken.
one of the most stressful times for kids going back to school is finding out which class they are in. If they’re not with their best friend, there can be tears, so discuss this possibility with your child and make plans for what you will do about it. The important thing is that your child leaves for school knowing that if there’s a disaster, you will be there to sort it out after school.
Get some new gear. Even if your child wears a uniform, something new can give them just the spring in their step they need for the first day back. Some new socks or a new hair clip or, for non-uniform wearers, a new t-shirt or pair of shoes.
Use this planning time to talk to your kids about school lunches for the year. Is there anything they would like to change? Can you swap some of the unhealthier options like high-fat and highly flavoured potato snacks for a healthier version? Are there muesli bars with less fat which might be better? Spend some time in the supermarket with your kids and look at some different options by reading labels and making sure their lunch foods are not high in fat and have as few preservatives and added colouring as you can find. By involving your kids in these decisions, they’ll be more likely to eat the stuff and you are also teaching them how to choose healthy food options.
Use this time to reinforce your child with positives from last year. There may not have been many, but it’s important to drag out anything they did last year which was impressive and use it to tell them how great this year can be because of it. Don’t bring up the negatives – this is a fresh year and new start, so send them off believing it will be great.
If, after all this preparation, your kids are still walking around with long faces and throwing themselves around the house in sorry anticipation of going back to school, then plan their favourite meal, a fun outing or a little present for them as a welcome-home reward for their first day. Their little faces will perk up immediately.
Prepare your child for the reality of homework by sorting out their work space. If it’s in their bedroom, clean out the desk and buy them a cheap calendar and a desk organiser to make it feel special. If it’s in the family room, try and give them an area they can have just for their homework.
Try to avoid the back-to-school blues by not buying into any discussion about how horrible school is. Talk to the kids about the things they love about school, such as being with their friends all day, the sports they enjoy, art classes they love, or a teacher they have missed. There is always something your child loved about school last year.
Don’t turn up at school on the first day and tell the teacher they are so lucky to have such a long holiday break – unlike most workers. You try doing their job for a day, take home their pay, and then tell them they are lucky.
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