
Struggling with the kids being back at school? Sasha Brown offers her top tips
With the Easter holidays well and truly over and children back at school it may be a struggle getting back into the school routine. Here are our tips to avoid a stressful start to the day.
Plan Ahead
Prepare lunchboxes, PE kits, book bags and school uniform the night before. It is always harder to try and remember everything in the morning and by preparing it the night before it avoids dashing around trying to find things that could cause you stress. It will also give you more time to focus on breakfast and getting dressed, reducing the chance of running late. Check homework is complete the night before to avoid arguments.
Get up early
Leave plenty of time for everyone to get up and get ready. Think about how long it will take to get ready in the morning and then give yourself an extra 15-25 minutes to allow for anything that may not go to plan. Make sure children know what time they need to get up and prompt them in the morning if they struggle.
Structure
Follow the same routine each morning so that children know what is expected of them. Sit down with your children and come up with your routine as a family. Children respond better to seeing it written down and can use it as a checklist to remind them of what they need to do before school. It also helps parents to remind children what they should be doing, for example: “Jon, you have five minutes before you need to be dressed for breakfast at 8am.” If children struggle with breakfast ensure it is at the same time each morning to help them get used to it. Giving children choices about what to have for breakfast will help, such as what jam to put on toast.
With the Easter holidays well and truly over and children back at school it may be a struggle getting back into the school routine. Here are our tips to avoid a stressful start to the day.
Plan Ahead
Prepare lunchboxes, PE kits, book bags and school uniform the night before. It is always harder to try and remember everything in the morning and by preparing it the night before it avoids dashing around trying to find things that could cause you stress. It will also give you more time to focus on breakfast and getting dressed, reducing the chance of running late. Check homework is complete the night before to avoid arguments.
Get up early
Leave plenty of time for everyone to get up and get ready. Think about how long it will take to get ready in the morning and then give yourself an extra 15-25 minutes to allow for anything that may not go to plan. Make sure children know what time they need to get up and prompt them in the morning if they struggle.
Structure
Follow the same routine each morning so that children know what is expected of them. Sit down with your children and come up with your routine as a family. Children respond better to seeing it written down and can use it as a checklist to remind them of what they need to do before school. It also helps parents to remind children what they should be doing, for example: “Jon, you have five minutes before you need to be dressed for breakfast at 8am.” If children struggle with breakfast ensure it is at the same time each morning to help them get used to it. Giving children choices about what to have for breakfast will help, such as what jam to put on toast.