Back to School Without the Bump

As back-to-school looms and the supermarkets ramp up their sales of stationery and uniform, it’s easy to feel the familiar pull of the September Scaries. The dread of the school run, the anticipation of chaotic mornings and relentless homework-based negotiations creep in. I have three tips to share with you for making the back-to-school transition as smooth as possible.

1. Prep Ahead

Breaking the To Do list down into manageable steps is a much more sustainable approach then trying to blitz everything at once. Leaving it to the last minute carries a lot of potential peril during a time that is already highly emotionally charged, don’t risk your kid starting a new school or new term with no school shoes... Do an audit of existing uniform, write a list of the bits that you need, order or source them second hand and name everything (actually do this otherwise it’ll all be gone by half term, never to be seen again!)

2. Create a Visual

A visual time table is a brilliant aid to support children during a change in routine. Draw out a weekly timetable to show where they will be and when, who will be taking them to school and picking them up and what after-school clubs they may have. This is particularly helpful if your child will be attending breakfast or afterschool clubs, or going to a childminders as part of the new term childcare plan. The visual allows your child to reference it often, without needing to ask you for the information a thousand times a day – it’s a win win!

3. Test the Emotional Waters

Asking your child ‘are you excited to see your friends’ is well-intended questions, however it also put your expectations onto them. Instead, try using to neutral language: ‘how do you feel about starting school?’ will allow them the chance to share their own experience with you. If you know that your child is likely to be nervous or reluctant to go back try ‘I wonder how you might feel about term starting again?’, this ‘wondering’ belongs to you, it’s not theirs and so they can choose whether to answer or not, but at least you are giving them the opportunity to consider it and share with you.

Transitions are always tricky, but being prepared is the key to success.