The summer is coming to an end and soon the children will be heading back to school with new backpacks, full pencil cases and a smile on their faces. The smile is optional, but obviously preferable. In fact the smile is largely dependent on how you, the parent or guardian, prepares yourself and your child for that first day back. Let us help you aim for excited rather than nervous when it comes to that sweet parting at the school gate. Avoid tearful first days and skip back to school with our six simple top tips for a happy return to the classroom.

1.  Avoid Morning Mayhem:  Start the day in that zen zone. Be prepared for the first day back and avoid last minute panics that will only aggravate frayed emotions.  Making sure that everything is ready the night before will allow for a leisurely breakfast and a gentle start to the day.  Some tension may arise over lost shoes or mismatched socks, but if you are already organised and in good time, you will all take it in your stride.

2.  No Drama on the First Day Back:  This means you Mom and Dad!  Whether you are already feeling the pangs of separation anxiety or whether you will be tumbling cartwheels of joy as the school bell rings, the message is the same. Keep your emotions to yourself and under control. Children will take their cue from you so adopt a mater-of–fact, no drama approach to the first day of school or the first day back. You can cry or laugh hysterically (or both) when they are safely at their desks.  As far as possible make sure you, or whomever is designated, is on time to collect your child too. It is stressful for tiny ones to scan the faces when the door opens and not find someone to greet them.

 3.  Routines:  It may have been a summer of eating cereal on the couch at 11am while still in you pyjamas or playing in the garden till 10pm. Who are we to judge you, or even envy you these luxuries? But face it, those days are over now. You, and the children need to go back into routine. Designated bedtimes, mealtimes and study times are necessary to face the rigours of a full school day.  Don’t be too upset, there is always Saturday and Sunday morning to look forward to.

4.  Homework:  Yes, that dreaded time of the evening when tired children must face the books again and tired parents must nag them into getting it all done. Homework can be a cause of tensions in many houses.  Ease the pain of home study by designating a certain space in the house just for homework. Be available for encouragement and assistance but try not to get stressed. Provide a healthy snack or warm drink from time to time, to prevent the energy levels from plummeting and the stress level spiralling.

5.  Lunches:   A healthy packed lunch does not have to be boring. While many schools rightfully adopt a ‘sugar free/no junk food’ rule to lunch time food, there are still wonderful options to make a brighter day for your little student.  The internet has lots of sites with practical and economical ideas for providing something different than the same-O, same-O 

6.  Downtime:  Plan fun activities for weekends and half term holiday. Life has not ended because the term started again and a reward outing or fun event will have everyone in more optimistic mode.

School terms are relatively short and children grow up fast, so try to enjoy the simple things in life. A chat together as you walk to school. A snack together when they get home. A crazy pillow-fight after homework for a bit of fun and just for the hell of it. Remember how it was during your own school days.  A myriad of emotions in one day. Good friends, tumbles in the school yard, the stress of a forgotten homework task or the elation of unexpected praise.  Our job, as adults is to support our young people in their education. Let’s do the best we can by providing the supplies and lunches they need and the emotional supports to get them through another year of schooling.  Remember, there are only 183 actual school days in the primary school year and the next mid-term break is in October. No bother to us!