The summer holidays can be great fun, but all parents know that those lazy (long) months can also come with a variety of challenges. Our kids absolutely love being off school and getting the chance to travel, visit family, hit that summer camp or have endless playdates. Their enjoyment of the escapism of summer is not only very demanding on parents in terms of scheduling (and budgeting), it can make the looming deadline of ‘back to school’ seem rather ominous. Looking around at a house full of mini humans who have grown accustomed to lie ins and seven-day weekends might make the routine of lessons seem a million miles away. Fear not! There are a series of ways in which you can ‘train’ your kids to make sure they are better equipped for the return of routine. With our top tips you can make sure to have more success with fitting into the back-to-school routine after the holiday break.
Time it right. When it comes to the most helpful back to school routine ideas, timing is everything. If your brood has been enjoying lazy mornings and late bedtimes that definitely won’t fly during term time, then now is the time to start scaling things back. To make sure they are ready to embrace the new school routine after the holiday break, start incrementally getting them closer to the right bedtimes and wake up calls, so it is less of a shock on day 1.
Involve them in the preparations. Back to school shopping is a great opportunity to involve your kids in what is coming up. By selecting the areas that work best, you can teach them about responsibilities, engage their help with errands and get them excited about the upcoming term – who doesn’t remember a brand new folder or back to school accessories severely lessening the dread of school when you couldn’t wait to show it off to your friends? Whether you are shopping on line or in store for back to school supplies, asking for input and help from the kids can embolden them when it comes to learning. At Citron, our back to school collection has a wide range of exciting elements that are guaranteed to make kids beg to be back at school including stylish backpacks, insulated lunchboxes and super cool accessories.
Start the study time early. The school day can be quite long, in terms of time and effort, especially for children whose only recent obligation was running around the garden and eating sweets. When faced with a full day of lessons or activities, it can be a little bit of a shock to the system. One of the best ways to combat this in the immediate run up to the back to school routine is to add in some specific study time sessions to break up the freedom. It might be that your school gave holiday work that needs to get done or your child could do with some extra study, either way, allocating time each day to do some work or revision will help them rebalance before their new school routine.
Consider a drive by. If your little one is very nervous about starting school, perhaps it is a new campus or a new stage for them, then speak to your school about doing a drop by prior to the start of term. Many schools might be able to accommodate a tour of the facilities or a meet and greet with a new teacher that could help an anxious child get their bearings and feel more confident.