How to save on back-to-school shopping was originally a paid collaborative post in conjunction with My Voucher Codes back in 2018 and updated in 2022. I would love to think that I am an organised Mum but half the time I am a fly-by-the-seat of my pants mum, however, when it comes to saving money I am on it! Raising children is expensive and any penny I can save means that I can spend it somewhere else, preferably on something fun.
Choosing the right Senior School for your child can feel very daunting and is a big decision. I know, I have been there…… twice for two very different children. There are lots of different guides for choosing a senior school from different perspectives, but I want to give you some tips from a parent of boys, one of whom has been through GCSE’s in a pandemic and one who will be sitting them in 2022 to finding the right school.
Get Crafty with These Oddbods-Inspired Accessories for School is a collaborative post with Oddbods in celebration of their fab back to school contest. I love crafting with children and I also love stationery, so I have developed some fun accessories that you can make with your kids to get ready for school.
There are some problems that feel easy to solve when you’re a parent. There are some questions that your kid has that have easy answers. How are we going to get that toy out of the tree? Why does the sunrise in one place and set in another? Why is it so important to drink water? But there are some problems that we find a little harder to solve, and some situations that require a little more time and patience.
As of Next week, my children are due back to school. This is something that I am delighted about. I have one child in his GCSE year and the other in Year 10 who has found engaging in remote learning almost impossible. As a shielding parent, I was delighted to find out that children and bubbles would be offered two rapid lateral flow tests and even more impressed that the boys’ school was implementing these tests this week to ensure a smooth start next week.
Hard to believe but I have been doing the back to school routine now for over 11 years This year Maxi will be going into year 11 (his GCSE year) and Mini into Year 10. After all these years being a school mum I have some excellent tips that make the back to school routine easier for all involved.
This back to school season has left me feeling rather different than previous ones. Not just because I will have a child in year 11 doing his GCSE’s but also as it has been over 5 months since either of my children were in school thanks to lockdown.
After the last five months of homeschooling, I have learned that things that you never would expect happen, can. So I have become more aware that my children will be leaning using computers and screens. So even though I have no idea what back to school might look like or if some home education will be coming again, I do know that my children’s eye health is so important and have learned about blue light exposure and to consider investing in kids’ blue light glasses.
Over the years, I have gathered together some amazing information, tips and tricks all about going back to school or starting school and each year I gather them all together to create this The Ultimate Back to School Resource 221/22.
Treads – School shoes that last is a collaborative post (they provided me with one free pair and a pair to giveaway). I have never lied about the fact that I have a child that kills school shoes. In fact, I think that school shoes take some stick from most children. For my boys, it is not just wearing them at school, but also the football in the playground. Mini seems to be especially hard on his shoes.
Moving from Primary school to senior school can seem like a big step for children and parents alike but there are some ways that as parents we can make the transition easier for our children.
Dealing with Starting School is a paid collaboration with Bassetts Vitamins. Starting school and going back to school can be such a big thing for a child and for a parent. I found both of my boys starting school one of the most stressful and worrying times in their lives so far. It was the first time that they were away from me for any length of time on a regular basis and I was really worried about them. How would they manage, would they eat school dinners, would they catch all the bugs that go round and how would they cope being without me!
I am not going to lie, but after 4 years of making packed lunches for Mini, it is not my favourite job, especially as he has an aversion to sandwiches! So when Herley’s got in touch with me to work with them on their lunchtime talks campaign I jumped at the chance as there must be lots of people like me who get stuck in a lunch box rut.
Hard to believe that these boys are 11 and 12 and that this year they are both in Senior School. Both in Blazers and travelling on the school bus!
Are you thinking about the children being back to school yet? Some people have been planning for this since the kids left school, others sit in denial about the holidays ever ending and other wishes h the holidays were much shorter or never happened at all!. Whichever person you are we have a post for you in our ultimate back to school resource. Whether it is your children first day of preschool or last year of senior school you will find some amazing tips and ideas to make the transition back to school simple for you and your children.
It is so hard to believe that this September Mini will be starting senior school and my years as a primary school parent are over. It is even harder to think that I have been navigating the first day of school since 2008 when Maxi started pre-school. So that is nine years of first days at school. Eight of them at Primary and one year of Seniors for Maxi.
I can not believe that as of September I will have two children in Senior school. For the boys that means a change in school shoes. Now they need to be more grown up and have laces. However, as much as the boys’ new school shoes need to look grown up they have to survive and be suitable for growing feet. So Ecco has sent us some of their back to school range to try out.
It has always been a challenge to find shoes for Mini. He has wide feet and needs to have lifts in his shoes. Since he was walking we have always ended up with Startrite Shoes. I have written about how and why we love them in the past, but this year I have decided to show you.
Do you have an older child that still struggles with handwriting? I do. Mini has been taught cursive writing since he was three years old at pre-school and school and he has always found it a challenge. So I am delighted to be working with STABILO in highlighting their pen licence and these handwriting tips.
Being at school can take some adapting to for children, especially after a holiday or for younger children who are just starting school. So I am working with Highland Spring to bring you some small ideas and tips for things that you can do to help your children during this time which will make everyone’s the school transition so much happier.
