Tips for preparing for going back to school after the holidays 15

For me and the boys the hardest part of going back to school is reestablishing a good bedtime routine and time after the more relaxed days and nights of the holidays, however, I find that with some planning and preparation I can ease the transition back to school with the ideas below.  This makes going back to school so much easier for the kids and therefore, me.

Re-establish routines

A couple of weeks before the school day starts again, we make a schedule for our typical school day and record all the timings and what needs doing.  We work towards regulating bed time in the final week before school, which ensures that body clocks are in sync with our Autumn timetable.  I try and ensure that I plan activities on a morning for that week before school so we all get in to the habit of getting up, breakfasted and dressed to a timescale.

Set Expectations

Even though my boys are eight and nine, I still find that a back to school chart is really helpful in establishing what they and I need to do each day, so we take some time to each make one which includes what we have to do each day, including the timings. For the first time ever this also means that Maxi will be doing homework (Year 5), so we will be working on a homework timetable.

Have a timetable/calender central

We use an Organised Mum planner at home and the boys have the days that they need PE kit, musical instruments etc on the calender.  it is their responsibility to keep me informed of changes and taking their things to school. I totally copied the fab backpack checklist from J Daniel4’s Mom

Nurture independence

One thing that makes our back to school transition so much easier is that I expect the boys to be independent and to manage things on their own.  They are both expected to take control of things in their classrooms at school, so I take advantage of this at home.

A place for everything

We have a place for the boys to out their school bags and paperwork each day.  It is important that they follow this, so I can check their bags for paperwork and act on it.  They also came in and wash their water bottles before refilling them and putting them in the fridge for the following morning.

Do as much as you can the night before

This is one of the things that is key for out mornings running smoother.  I AM NOT a morning person, so will stay in bed as long as I can, by doing more the night before I take the strain out of what can be a moody morning.  This means getting clothes ready, bags ready, checking the calender, filling water bottles, paying for school lunches in advance and prpping breakfast.

Have a trial run

We do a dress rehearsal a couple of days before school starts, just to make sure that everything runs smoothly.  For us this means having the bike locks and keys ready (the boys cycle or scoot to school), setting alarms and also helps make sure we know what is expected for all of us.

Mum’s need to be prepared too

Being prepared for the boys going back to school means that I am not stamping their names in uniform the night before they go back to school.  It also means that we have tried on all the school uniform and that they have everything they need.  It also means getting back in to a routine with breakfasts and dinners and more importantly making sure that they have an afternoon snack to come home too.

<div align="center"><a href="https://www.muminthemadhouse.com/" title="THe Mad House"><img src="https://www.muminthemadhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/BACK-to-school-2014-e1407320493607.jpg" alt="THe Mad House" style="border:none;" /></a></div>