The school holidays are the perfect time to really bond with your kids and make the most of them. Although it can be stressful, especially if one or both parents work, it can also be a fun time and something that creates memories to cherish. However, when these breaks are drawing to an end, there are some important things to bear in mind to ensure that your children are ready to head back to school and start a new term with energy and excitement.

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The Sleep Routine

Throughout the school holidays, it’s likely that the routine you were in before the end of the last term has completely disappeared, especially when it comes to bedtime. The kids are most likely going to bed much later than they normally would because they can sleep in later. They might be watching more TV or using their games consoles later, for example. As it gets closer to school time, parents will need to start bringing the old routine back again, otherwise the kids will be tired and grumpy when school starts.

 

Begin slowly a couple of weeks before the start of the new school term and gradually make bedtime earlier and earlier until you’re back at their usual time. If the holidays were shorter, start at least a week in advance of going back.

 

Shop For School Supplies

Although it doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing you can do together, a trip to the shops to pick up school supplies can be fun, and it makes the idea of going back to school much more concrete – both you and your children will understand that it’s coming and that you all need to be prepared. Let the kids pick out their own supplies and get them to pack their bags so that everything is ready; it will help them to adjust to the idea of going back, plus it gives them some responsibility. If you do this every time a school break ends, by the time they get to university and need to be ready for London student tours and their classes, they’ll be able to do it quickly and easily.

 

Get Their Uniforms Prepared

The time period leading up to going back to school can often be filled with a lot of household chores. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed is completely normal, so why not make things a little easier for you? Instead of allowing your laundry piles to build up you might want to consider a reputable, local dry cleaner, who can take care of your kids’ uniforms. There are many places that will pick up your laundry and drop it back to your house in just a couple of days. This is a quick and simple way to get prepared without adding too many jobs to your ever-growing to-do list!

 

Get A Homework Station Ready

Kids may be given homework during the holidays, and no matter your opinion of this practice, they need to do it if they have it. This could be quite a shock after weeks and weeks of not doing any work at all, but if you prepare a dedicated homework station with a desk, equipment, perhaps a computer or tablet, then it will make things easier. Remember that this station should be somewhere peaceful and quiet where there aren’t any distractions, but you’ll also potentially need to be on hand in case your help is needed, plus you should never let young children on the internet by themselves, so they will need supervision.

 

Make A Screen Time Rule

As you draw closer to school time starting again, a screen time rule will need to come into force. As with the bedtime routine, start changing things a few weeks before school begins so that you’re at a level you are comfortable with by the first day of the new term. The amount of screen time you allow your kids will depend on their age and what they do online, so it will always be your own choice.