You've survived six weeks of summer holidays! Come September, unfortunately it's no longer acceptable to wear pyjama's until 2pm, or to eat meals at random times! Give yourself a pat on the back for entertaining your children for those long summer days, and then do yourself a favour and read this post to help you get ready for the new term.
Adjusting back to the routine of school or college can be a big transition for families after a fun and relaxing summer. In this post we have some tips for carers to help their children and young people get back into the routine of term time.
it's all in the preparation
In the last week or two you need to put in the preparation to get children ready for going back to school. The following activities can help:
Start getting back into the term-time routines of meal times and bed times.
Get the practical elements sorted and involve the child, where possible. Just going to get new school shoes or uniform can help the child or young person recognise it's that time soon. Let them choose some new stationery or a new backpack, something they can feel excited about using.
Talk about their new teacher and mention their name a few times to help the child learn it.
Talk about their new class and if they're going to a new school, how things might be different. For example, in secondary school how they will need to carry all their books with them all day. If they're going to college it's a very different timetable, perhaps with big gaps in between classes.
Bring the summer to a positive end by having a special evening, like a BBQ or staying up late outside on a clear night, or an evening picnic down the park. Encourage everyone to say their highlights from the summer and something they're looking forward to about the new term.
Give your child a chance to express any concerns they have about the new term and look out for any behaviour that might indicate they're struggling with the approaching transition.
be kind to yourself
It can be a stressful time when term kicks off again so make sure you look after yourself and your wellbeing. Also, being organised can really help reduce stress levels so spend the last few days of the summer planning what the weeks will be like, who has what clubs after school and what you'll be putting in packed lunches.
ask for help if you need it
Your supervising social worker is there to help you so ask for advice and guidance where you need it. You don't need to have everything worked out, especially if you're a new carer with your first placement.