Parenting column by Sasha Hart, family care manager at Community Family Care, Staunton
With back-to-school time approaching, preparing to get back in to the school routine can trigger a range of emotions.
Parents may feel a sense of relief combined with sadness that extended time as a family is over.
Children may feel apprehensive about going back or feel excited about a new term and seeing friends again.
The first few weeks of term can be stressful so we’ve put together some survival tips.
Be prepared
During the first few weeks of term your child is likely to be tired and more likely to misbehave or be irritable.
They have gone from a prolonged time at home and fun activities to a structured day with a cognitive overload.
Factor this in when booking other activities and allow your child some downtime.
Back to routine
Try to prepare your child for the changed routine ahead of time.
If you know they struggle in the mornings, get them up earlier in the final couple of weeks of the holidays and get back to regular bedtimes.
Talk through the routine with your child so they know what will happen.
Have a chart with the times and what usually happens as a reminder.
Get back in to a regular homework routine as soon as possible – children will often have more homework than the previous year and will need to keep on top of it from the start.
Plan ahead
Be as organised as you can to help things to run smoothly.
Do as much as you can the night before to help with those first mornings and allow extra time to avoid a mad rush.
Remind your child ahead of time what usually happens when they are at school – what time they need to be up, when homework days are or who will be picking them up from school.
Make time to talk through any anxieties your child may have.
Take five
Parents often use the first weeks of back to school time to catch up with things they were unable to do during the summer, whether that’s work, washing or deep cleaning the house.
Remember that everyone needs downtime – take five minutes to savour a cup of tea in peace and quiet.
Community Family Care, based at Staunton, Gloucestershire helps families, children and young people in need of additional support.
Click here to download PDF of this article.
With back-to-school time approaching, preparing to get back in to the school routine can trigger a range of emotions.
Parents may feel a sense of relief combined with sadness that extended time as a family is over.
Children may feel apprehensive about going back or feel excited about a new term and seeing friends again.
The first few weeks of term can be stressful so we’ve put together some survival tips.
Be prepared
During the first few weeks of term your child is likely to be tired and more likely to misbehave or be irritable.
They have gone from a prolonged time at home and fun activities to a structured day with a cognitive overload.
Factor this in when booking other activities and allow your child some downtime.
Back to routine
Try to prepare your child for the changed routine ahead of time.
If you know they struggle in the mornings, get them up earlier in the final couple of weeks of the holidays and get back to regular bedtimes.
Talk through the routine with your child so they know what will happen.
Have a chart with the times and what usually happens as a reminder.
Get back in to a regular homework routine as soon as possible – children will often have more homework than the previous year and will need to keep on top of it from the start.
Plan ahead
Be as organised as you can to help things to run smoothly.
Do as much as you can the night before to help with those first mornings and allow extra time to avoid a mad rush.
Remind your child ahead of time what usually happens when they are at school – what time they need to be up, when homework days are or who will be picking them up from school.
Make time to talk through any anxieties your child may have.
Take five
Parents often use the first weeks of back to school time to catch up with things they were unable to do during the summer, whether that’s work, washing or deep cleaning the house.
Remember that everyone needs downtime – take five minutes to savour a cup of tea in peace and quiet.
Community Family Care, based at Staunton, Gloucestershire helps families, children and young people in need of additional support.
Click here to download PDF of this article.
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