School holidays are almost over in Australia! Cue kids grumbling & parents celebrating ;)
A lot of you have emailed in asking for tips on how to make going back to school as easy and stress free as possible on the whole family, so I'm sharing my favourite tips with you today.
The general rule of thumb for Back To School readiness is to get a simple rhythm going. Keep at it every day and it will get easier, I promise!
Tip #1: Plan out your weekdays.
Know who needs to be where, and by when. If anyone is starting school for the first time, or changing schools, do a trial run before the first day of school to see how long it takes you to drive there (and then to day care, and then work if applicable - do the whole lot as you would on a "real" school day).
Then add 30 minutes to the timeframe to allow for parking / dropping off / clinginess and not wanting to let go.. usually this is Mum but it can be the kids too ;) Don't worry, with practice mornings will get easier and you won't need to allow as much time for the school run but for now, it's better to be really early than running late.
Tip #2: Get into your morning routine now. If you have any time between now and the first day of school, begin waking everyone up early, having breakfast, and getting dressed as if it was a school day. It will give you an idea of how long you all need to get ready, and it will prepare the kids for early rises when school goes back. You can have a bit of fun with this too: If the kids can get ready on time, take everyone out for a play at the park / trip to the library / morning at the beach as a reward!
Tip #3: Set up your Homework Zone. Whether it's a dedicated space in your house, or the dining room table, having a space to sit and do homework (with paper, pens and other tools handy) makes it easier to sit down and get it done. Make sure there's a spot for you too, so you can sit and read through notes from the teacher, cover books, and fill out permission slips while the kids do their homework.
Tip #4: Check your school must haves. Do school clothes and shoes still fit? Anything need replacing? Don't forget hats and bags..
Tip #5: Get prepared for school lunches. Grab this free Lunch Ideas Print, sit down with the kids and ask each one to tell you their 3 favourite lunches. That gives you a few to begin with, and the internet has lots of great other lunchbox ideas for you to find - take a half hour one day this week and check them out, I like the look of these, these, and this.
Tip #6: Set your clock 7 minutes ahead of time. It's a really simple and really effective way to make sure you're not running late each morning! But it only works if you change ALL the clocks. Go on, try it for a fortnight, you'll never go back to regular time :)
So those are my favourite Back To School readiness tips! They're the ones that get the best results for my coaching clients and I'd love to know if they help you too (so message me on Facebook if they do!).
And don't forget to comment below and let me know your own Back to School tips!
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE AS A GUEST POST ON YOUR BLOG OR IN YOUR NEWSLETTER? Of course you can - just make sure to include this bio and picture with it:
Marissa Roberts helps busy mothers find more time in the day to do everything. She teaches family friendly organising and time management techniques to mums looking for more work, life and family balance. Get her FREE ebook “5 Steps to an Easy Morning" at www.beautifullyorganised.com
Credits: This post isn't sponsored and contains no affiliate links.
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