Parenting column by Sasha Hart, family care manager at Community Family Care, Staunton
With the festive period over, getting back in the school routine can be a struggle for both children and parents.
The routine you worked so hard to establish can feel like a distant memory after bedtimes and everyday activities have been disrupted, meaning back-to-school can be a stressful experience for all involved.
We’ve put together some tips to help make school mornings less stressful.
Plan ahead
Prep lunchboxes, PE kits, book bags and school uniforms the night before to avoic dashing around trying to find things and causing additional stress.
It will allow more time in the morning to focus on breakfast, washing and getting dressed.
Check any homework has been completed and placed in school bags the night before. This could avoid an argument in the morning.
Get up early
Leave plenty of time for everyone to get up and ready.
Think how long it will realistically take to get ready in the morning and 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
Try to follow the same routine each morning so children know what is expected of them and when.
It will differ among households so sit down with your children and come up with your routine as a family.
Sometimes children respond better to seeing it written down or in pictures and can use it as a checklist.
It also helps parents to give prompts to remind children which step they should have reached.
If children struggle with breakfast, ensure it is at the same time each morning to help them get used to it in their routine.
Giving children small choices about what to have for breakfast will help, such as what jam to put on toast or what kind of cereal they would like.
Getting up in plenty of time will also help breakfast to become a stress-free event.
Review
If your morning routine isn’t working, review what works and what you find stressful to make adjustments.
Click here to download PDF of this article.
The routine you worked so hard to establish can feel like a distant memory after bedtimes and everyday activities have been disrupted, meaning back-to-school can be a stressful experience for all involved.
We’ve put together some tips to help make school mornings less stressful.
Plan ahead
Prep lunchboxes, PE kits, book bags and school uniforms the night before to avoic dashing around trying to find things and causing additional stress.
It will allow more time in the morning to focus on breakfast, washing and getting dressed.
Check any homework has been completed and placed in school bags the night before. This could avoid an argument in the morning.
Get up early
Leave plenty of time for everyone to get up and ready.
Think how long it will realistically take to get ready in the morning and 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
Try to follow the same routine each morning so children know what is expected of them and when.
It will differ among households so sit down with your children and come up with your routine as a family.
Sometimes children respond better to seeing it written down or in pictures and can use it as a checklist.
It also helps parents to give prompts to remind children which step they should have reached.
If children struggle with breakfast, ensure it is at the same time each morning to help them get used to it in their routine.
Giving children small choices about what to have for breakfast will help, such as what jam to put on toast or what kind of cereal they would like.
Getting up in plenty of time will also help breakfast to become a stress-free event.
Review
If your morning routine isn’t working, review what works and what you find stressful to make adjustments.
Click here to download PDF of this article.
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