Helping your Child get back into the School Routine

11th September 2015

During the school summer holidays, it’s safe to say that no child keeps to the school routine they live by for the majority of the year. However, with late nights, no early wake-up calls and different eating times, it can be rather challenging trying to force your child back into the school routine, when the time finally comes.

On the last week of the summer holidays, we suggest you start introducing subtle changes to your child’s summer-time schedule – or lack of! – to help them prepare for the school routine that is looming…

New things

Let your child choose a new pencil case, pens, notebook, etc. ready for their new school year. These don’t have to be expensive, but they can help to get your child excited for the new school year so that they can use their new things! This is especially good if your child isn’t looking forward to going back to school.

Bedtime

We’re naturally more lenient about what time our little ones should be tucked up in bed when we know they don’t have to get up early. But this can make it difficult when the summer holidays come to an end, and we need them to wake up earlier.

If you gradually get your child used to going to bed ten minutes earlier every night a week before they are due back at school, then this should make life a lot easier for you when the time comes to reintroduce the old weeknight bedtime. Plus, your child will need the extra rest to prepare themselves for busy school days again.

Mealtimes

As well as earlier bedtimes, regular mealtimes are also a thing of the past when it’s the school holidays. As your child is more than likely waking up later, they will be having their breakfast later. On top of this, they might be snacking more or having special treats that they wouldn’t usually have if they were at school.
Try and establish a routine of three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, the week before the end of the summer holidays to prepare them for the regular eating times they have on a school day.

Meeting up with friends

Arrange for your child to meet up with their school friends before their first day back. This will hopefully get them excited about meeting up with one another at school.

Your routine

Although it is important to make sure your child has a school routine that they stick to, it’s also important to get yourself ready for the new school year, as you have had a break from it too!
While your child is in bed, use this time to get yourself back into the habit of preparing things for the following morning i.e. lunches packed, uniform washed and laid out, bags packed etc. Also, avoid the morning stress by making sure you set your alarm early enough so you aren’t frantically rushing around trying to get everything done in a hurry.

If you can try and introduce a few of these things before your child is ready to return to school then things will hopefully be much easier, and before you know it you’ll have slipped right back into the usual, familiar school routine!

Here at Tiny World, we can help make going back to school easier for you and your child with our excellent after school clubs. Please feel free to contact the team at Tiny World to find out more.