Are you ready for the big Back to School?

School summer holidays are strange. Whether you are a child or a parent, at the beginning of those 6 weeks it feels as if they will last forever. Children are excited. Parents are more likely to be panicking at the thought of having to combine the normal daily routines of work and running the home with 24/7 childcare thrown in. Not to mention all the extra expense.

But those early days soon drift into weeks; and before you know it you are hurtling at breakneck speed towards September and Back to School.

It can feel like a bit of a black cloud on the horizon. Your child may well be feeling a bit anxious about going back to school, whether it’s returning to the same school or going to a new one. And you may also be dreading the sheer pace of it all.

So here are our ten tips on how to get ready for Back to School and make it your easiest one yet.

1. Make sure you know the date and time to be there

Many families have had the experience of turning up to school at the wrong time after school holidays. Whether it’s a day or an hour early or late, it can all be very embarrassing. Also bear in mind that start times on the first day of term may be different from usual. Your child will be mortified if this happens, so do find out from a reliable source in advance.

2. Make bedtime earlier a few days in advance

Most families let their kids stay up later during school holidays – and why not. But it’s a good idea to start gradually reining it as you get nearer to Back to School. 

Just moving bedtime a little earlier every night for a few days should do the trick. Then hopefully by the time school starts they should be pretty much on track for normal school night bedtime, and not too exhausted on their first day back.

3. Ease your child into healthy eating

The other thing to start tweaking as Back to School approaches is your child’s diet. If they’ve been overindulging on carbs and snacks during the school holidays, start getting them back onto healthier foods in the run up to Back to School. 

If they take a packed lunch to school, also start giving some thought as to tasty healthy things to go into these.

4. Double check the uniform and equipment list

You may have various letters and lists about uniform and equipment, and it’s also worth checking the school website too. It is so easy to miss something or send your child in with the wrong type of item. So double check, then check again, so that they have everything they need for the first day. 

5. Make space for all the school stuff

As well as making sure you have all the school stuff, it’s a really good idea to find a space for it in your home. Whether this is your children’s bedroom or somewhere else in the home, try and find a place for everything so that it is easy to keep things like uniform, PE kit and stationery organised.

It really is worth trying to sort this now, as it will make the morning rush so much easier if everything is in its place.

6. Get everything ready the night before

This is a great idea in general, but especially for the first day back. It avoids disasters and delays on the morning itself.

So take time the night before to:

• Lay out the school uniform
• Pack the school bag
• Pack the PE kit
• Have any relevant forms or information to hand.

If your child has to take a packed lunch, either prepare it the night before or make sure that everything is ready to hand for the morning.

7. Plan your morning schedule

On the subject of mornings, plan your time carefully. It always seems to be the case that everything is going really well and suddenly 20 minutes has disappeared! 

The first thing to do is to decide what time they need to leave home. Whether they are travelling to school on their own, or you are going with them, fix that time and stick to it.

Then work back from then to build in time to get up, washed and dressed and also time to have a proper breakfast – without being rushed. Easier said than done, we know! But if you really work at it, it can become an ingrained routine and make things easier for everyone.

8. Agree a homework strategy in advance

It is also worth thinking through your homework strategy before term starts. For example, will your child do homework straight after they get in from school, or have a break first? At what point of the evening will they have their evening meal? And where will they do their homework?

A big issue is whether you will allow them to have any other devices when they are doing their homework – for example TV, computer/tablet or phone. The computer/tablet issue is particularly difficult because they may need to use one for some or all of their homework. 

Everyone has their own rules, and what is right for one family may not work for another. But the important thing is to have a set pattern so that your child knows when and where they need to get their homework done, and what are the rules surrounding that time.

9. Help your child with friendship issues

Your child may be anxious about going back to school even if they don’t show it. One of the key pressures is friendship issues. Even if they are in the same school, they will be going into a new class, probably with at least a few new pupils and also new teachers. 

You can help with this by trying to find out more about their friends, and how they are getting on. If there are new friends that they mention a lot, it may be worth trying to get to know the parents and arranging some after school activities. 

If they seem anxious about certain pupils, try to help them find ways either to relate to them, or just politely keep away from them. But if you suspect there is any unpleasant behaviour or bullying going on, it’s important to get in touch with the school to discuss your concerns, so that they can keep an eye on what is going on.

10. Plan a family celebration for the end of the first week

Back to School can be a stressful time for all concerned, so why not plan a family celebration for the end of the first week? You have made it through the first week, so hopefully everything will get a bit easier from this point forward.

This is a great way to reassure your child that you are all in this together, and that you are there to support them whatever happens.

Good luck with your Back to School. We hope that this article has been helpful in suggesting ways that you can make things easier for both you and your child.

And if your family finances need a bit of a boost at this time, remember that Loans 2 Go offer quick loans that may be able to help.

Do visit us here again soon for more financial and lifestyle tips from Loans 2 Go.