Last Updated on 2 September 2024 by Colette
With just a week or two left of the summer holidays, it’s time to start thinking about how exactly we are going to ease these kids (and ourselves) back into school.
How to make the return to school less painful
Get back into a proper bedtime / wake up routine
This is probably going to the hardest one for my children with later, more relaxed bedtimes a popular bonus of the school holidays, getting them back to a more normal bedtime might be tricky – especially as it’s still pretty bright at night. Ben and Amy are both pretty early risers but Chloe loves a lie in (like her Mum) so over the next week or two there can’t be any lounging in bed till 10am or sitting in her pjs till lunch time, she needs to be up by 7.30am so that the 6.30am start on the first day of term isn’t such a shock!
Check you’ve got the right day for back to school
Honestly this might seem obvious but pretty much every year I’ve seen someone get it wrong – there’s been plenty of times I’ve been sat in the hall ready for a whole school staff meeting and have spotted a child coming down the path in full uniform with their packed lunch all ready to start the new term. It happens. And this year, more than most, you need to check as lots of schools will have changed the start of the new school term to allow for staggered starts or additional staff training – so keep an eye on the school website, ask other parents – check you’ve got the right day, and indeed the right time!
Check everything still fits
If you are a super organised parent who bought all the school uniform back in July when M&S had an offer on – then hats off to you! This year my girls need very little new school uniform as they have had new bits through the year as they have grown. Ben needed new shoes and trousers though and, for the first time, is beyond standard school uniform sizes. We tried everything on a month ago but I’ve been caught out before now by a summer holiday growth spurt so we’ll be doing a quick check this week just in case anything needs exchanging for a different size!
Label everything!
If you haven’t got round to labelling everything for school yet – now is the time. Make sure all the new bits you’ve bought have got labels on (we prefer the stick on ones – so much quicker!) and that you’ve got labels on any older bits that might have slipped through the net!
Get PE kits and book bags together
Making sure that those PE kits and book bags are all sorted and ready for the return to school is such a simple task but you’ll be glad you got it done now! You might think they won’t be doing PE on the first couple of days of term – but I promise it’s easier to just get that PE kit sent straight back in and then you can forget about it! (Whilst we’re on the subject of PE kits – I wholeheartedly recommend putting spare underwear and socks in there, if not a whole spare uniform. This is something I’ve done since Ben was in Nursery and he was still grateful for it in Year 6 – you never know when a downpour on the way to school, a slip in a puddle at lunchtime or an accident with the painting water might just warrant clean, dry clothes!)
Dinner money / packed lunches
Make sure you’re organised for dinner money – Do you know how much it is? Do you need to send it in a little envelope with your child’s name and class on or is it paid upfront online? (Most schools are making the move to cashless now). If your child is having packed lunches this year, do they need a new lunchbox? Are there any guidelines around what they can or can’t have in their packed lunch? (Often these relate to the Healthy Schools initiative or if a child in school has a severe allergy, this can impact what other’s can have in their lunch).
Good luck, you’ve got this.
For children who are really struggling with being back in school read this next: Not fine in school
Check out these “back to school” quotes to inspire or amuse!
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