Having a tough time making the back to school transition? With the 2019 school year in full swing, it’s goodbye to carefree summer days and hello to alarm clocks and new schedules… challenging, right?
So, mom and dad, if you feel as if you’re in survival mode, literally shoving everyone out the door to get to school and work on time, we get it, the struggle is real… Your pulse quickens, your heart rate sky rockets and oh, it’s on… you start barking: “Where are your shoes?” or “Yes, you need to wear underwear to school!” Truth is, as parents we are never quite ready for the smack in the face that back to school can bring, but there are a few things that you can do if you think that home is a little too chaotic for comfort.
The first few weeks of school is all about helping your child to adjust and getting them excited about learning. And, although settling into the new school year will take time and patience, providing your child with a set routine will make the transition easier.
We have a few tips on how to stay calm so you can carry on:
Have a lot of patience and loving hugs on hand. Your kids are going to be physically and mentally exhausted during the first few weeks of the term. Their minds will be inundated with information as they navigate the choppy waters of new friendships and homework (all while readjusting to a day without hourly trips to the fridge!)
Be a little boring. Design a basic structure for your family’s day. Have a predictable routine. Have structured mealtimes and get proper nutrition back on track.
Readjust their body clocks. It all starts with bedtime. Try to get them in bed 15 minutes earlier each day (depending on how far off normal they are – you might have to adjust the clocks in your home!)
Avoid morning battles. Have backpacks packed and at the door. Organise and set out what they need the night before. Lunches should be packed, and clothes should be laid out.
Keep the breakfast drama low. Outsource breakfast – ask your partner to pitch in. If he/she can’t, well then, instant oatmeal with fruit it is. Boom!
Keep some of the fun stuff going. Although you can’t do movie nights five nights a week anymore, you can still do them every Friday. They get to stay up late and sleep in on Saturdays. Because if you blink, it’s Sunday night. And here we go again!
Implement a family calendar on the fridge to visually plan and coordinate activities during the week.
Avoid overscheduling. It’s great to do a variety of after school activities and play dates, but if you over commit, you (and the kids) will end up feeling exhausted.
Establish a positive relationship with your child’s teacher and attend school events.
Make sure that your child knows that you don’t expect perfection – only that they try their best.
Take care of yourself to enable you to have the patience and energy to take care of them.
Of course a crazy little thing called life may disrupt your routine from time to time. And that’s okay. More than okay, actually. Like adults, kids need to learn to be flexible, adaptable and creative during unpredictable times.
All the best for the first term!
Source: kensingtonmums.co.uk, onefamily.ie, www.mirror.co.uk, learningessentialsedu.com, kidshealth.org, www.pbs.org, www.scarymommy.com
