After 6 weeks of summer bliss, the return to school is not one that’s eagerly anticipated by most. While some children look forward to being reunited with friends and classmates on a daily basis, the start of a new term is not without its challenges, like the return of homework, exams and long days.
The start of a new school year also brings its share of stresses for parents. Whether you’re a new parent or one who’s been through the back-to-school process with multiple children, there’s all manner of things to wrap your head around like busy extra-curricular or social calendars, ferrying children to and from school and helping your child manage their workload.
All in all, the return to school can be tough on all members of the family but with these tips you can help make everyone’s lives that little bit easier and get the term off to a great start.
Put routines in place
From brushing teeth and making breakfast to completing homework after school and winding down for bed, having a routine in place is really beneficial for all family members. Daily schedules can be very fluid and stressful so having a routine provides structure and constants throughout each day so the household naturally becomes a calmer environment to live and study in.
Set routines also allow children’s body clocks to adapt, which sets them up for a better night’s sleep and also ensures they’re eating at regular intervals, having regular bowel movements and have established clear windows of “down time” during the day for play.
2. Avoid blue light
We live in a world where a device is never far away but exposure to blue light before bed is shown to inhibit the production of melatonin (the hormone which makes us feel drowsy), so device use before bed only makes it that much harder for children to switch off and get to sleep.
Among older children in particular, access to phones means there’s often the temptation to stay up late on social media or conversing with friends. Where possible, we recommend limiting phone use in the hour before bedtime to ensure children get a good night’s sleep and are well-rested before school the following day.
3. Ensure meals are balanced
Some parents have fussy eaters or find themselves short on time when school and work gets busy after the holidays meaning it can be easy to opt for the likes of a quick ready meal. While that’s fine on occasion, having a more nutritionally rich and balanced diet will help to restore your child’s energy so they don’t become fatigued after long days at school. Studies also suggest that children with good nutrition can actually benefit from better performance in school.
To help support a healthy diet and make less work for yourself during the week, it can be worth spending a bit of time over the weekend prepping some meals in tupperware containers that can then be easily reheated. You can also get your children involved as food preparation can help spark their interest in trying new foods and allows time for you to bond with one another.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one of our favourite recipes is waffles or pancakes, not least because there’s not a child out there that wouldn’t love pancakes or waffles for breakfast!
We particularly love these as they can be made in bulk and easily stored in the fridge or freezer prior to consumption. Whichever you opt for, the recipe is the same, it just depends on whether you have access to a waffle maker or would rather just use a pan.
When you’re ready to eat them, simply pop your pancake or waffle into the toaster and serve with a spoonful of greek yoghurt and your favourite fruit for a balanced breakfast.
Top tip: you can also add a mashed banana to the batter to up the fruit intake and give your pancakes or waffles some naturally added sweetness.
4. Support with studies
Starting a new school year means children can find themselves overwhelmed with workload or struggling to wrap their head around new subjects or topics they’ve not approached before.
In these circumstances, engaging a tutor can help to identify the specific areas for development and provide your child with focused support to help them learn. As with daily routines, having set time with a tutor also provides a controlled environment and structured window in the day to work on homework with the assistance of a tutor to help guide them through the areas they find challenging.
5. Sometimes parents need support too…
While our children are our focus, it’s important to acknowledge that parents sometimes need some extra support during the busy back-to-school period too, and that’s where engaging a nanny can come in handy.
When a busy work schedule and a child’s school calendar pick back up simultaneously, even something as “small” as school pick-ups and drop-offs can present a conundrum. Having the support of a nanny during this time (and throughout the academic year) helps alleviate some of the pressure during otherwise busy periods.
We always encourage families to be as communicative as possible so both parties are clear on what’s expected from a nanny but there’s no reason you can’t discuss an existing or prospective nanny taking on the responsibility of school runs, supporting with meal preparation or overseeing homework to help keep things running smoothly.
We are on hand to help you identify prospective nannies and have laid out some interview tips when you come to shortlisting the right person for your family.