At times it feels as if the long summer months will go on forever. The sleepless hot nights, the constant feeling of being too hot, the always walking in the shade will soon be replaced by the fresh autumn air and you know what that means? It’ll be back to school time. An exciting time but a sad time. Exciting because the kids get to see their friends, sad because another summer has gone.
It can be difficult to make that adjustment back into strict routine after the freedom of the summer but there are little things that we can do to ease the transition.
How to Help Your Child Get Back to School Mode
- Do a bit of studying and reading during the summer. We love to do ‘activity books’. A small amount frequently stops your brain going rusty. Think of your brain as a large muscle. A small amount of study and reading goes a long way to keep it fighting fit and active.
- Hair cut. Time to shed those summer locks and look bright and smart for back to school. (I know it’ll only last 2 day but never mind.)
- School clothes. Perhaps you need to go on a trip to buy new clothes or just unpack last years. Either way, it’s exciting getting everything ready.
- Exciting new school stuff. The kids love getting their school books and new bags ready for the new school year. (I have to pay for school books here. This year with four children at school, it will cost me nearly €1000 in books and equipment that we have to pay to the school. Ouch!)
- Talk about Friends. I start to talk about their friends who they haven’t seen for a while. “I wonder what Anna has been doing this holiday?” It reminds them and builds up excitement about seeing them.
- End of Summer Dinner. We like to go out for a special family dinner to say good bye to the summer.
- Special Morning. On the first day of school, we have a special and healthy breakfast and take a special photo.
- After school activities. Start to think about after school activities that they want to do. This year it’s swimming, football, jujitsu and dancing. I’m not sure we’ll have enough time!
- Healthy Snacks. Keep those minds and bodies busy with healthy snacks.
- Enjoy the weekends. Make the most of your weekends. Plan some family outings. We live near the beach and spend the summer sharing our favourite spots with lots of holiday makers but by the time Autumn comes, most of them have gone home and we have great fun enjoying our favourite places by ourselves.
- Pic Nic Dinner. How about packing an after school dinner and eating al fresco as if it were still summer?
We love the holidays but we love school too. We love our daily routine and the after school activities.
What do you do to make going back to school easier for your family and your children?
Feeding Toddlers.
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