After the holidays and time enjoying the beach, the swimming pool, the sun, and many other summer activities, it’s time for students to go back to school, but how do they feel about it? We must be aware that going back to school and having to follow a new routine, is not an easy task in some aspects, although it is positive in many others. Children in Foundation and students in early stages of Primary Education are often the ones eager to begin a new school year. In this case, going back to school means going back to their friends and all the responsibilities they have at this stage are actually fun for them. On the opposite side, older students aged from 10-11 onwards, aren’t so keen to begin school because of what this means for them. They have more obligations and responsibilities; maybe some of them have to face an important change like moving on from Primary to Secondary school. This translates into greater responsibility for the student, a burden that we must know how to handle so that students aren’t exposed to the stress of going back to school. In order to achieve this, planning is the key to success. If we manage to make the whole idea of going back a fun thing for our children, it will make the process a lot easier, not only for them but for the entire family.

 

Some guidelines that can help going back to school much easier and fun:

 

1. Start changing their habits little by little

 

Ease children back into a school year routine gradually, adjusting their sleeping schedules weeks before they are meant to go back to school. You can also start by planning a routine which will help their brains to organise time, to know what tasks need to be done that specific day and how much time they have to carry them out. This is why organisation is essential.

 

2. To correctly function during the week, it is a good idea to create a family event calendar to organise a schedule for both parents and children

 

It is a good idea to create a family event calendar to organise a schedule for both parents and children. This way the entire family will be able to track after school activities for correct family time management, being aware of day-to-day tasks and errands of the other family members.

 

3. We are our children’s role models; therefore we should act like it

 

It is important to serve as an example for them, especially for the youngest. Modelling a positive behaviour at home will later reflect in the student’s behaviour in the classroom. Therefore if they see adults doing certain things they will probably feel compelled to do the same. As parents we must make them see that although we would still love to be enjoying our holidays, they have the responsibility to go back to school just like we have to get back to work. It is our task to make them understand that if we approach this with a positive attitude, going back to our daily routine will be much easier.

 

4. We have to include our children in the search of new school material

 

They will be using throughout the year, either shopping for their uniforms, their textbooks, etc. This will make them feel useful and involved in the whole idea of going back to school, which can be so complicated for some of them.

 

5. Remind them everything positive about school

 

They get to see their friends and their teachers, get back to after school activities they like. We must try to make going back to class desirable, make them want to continue learning.

 

6. Share more time with them on school tasks

 

Help them with homework and try to make this time fun. Children love seeing their parents get involved and if they are able to make these school tasks entertaining, something which at first seemed dull and boring can become a game to share with their parents instead of seeing it like an obligation. This in no case means that parents should start doing their children’s homework, it is more about making them feel they share time with them in their daily routine.

 

7. Try to save some time to play with them

 

You can even make reading every night an activity you can share with your children. This will also help them improve their reading comprehension at the same time it gives them the opportunity to spend more time with you before bedtime. It is also a good idea, in a world where children live surrounded by technology, to start teaching them how to use it correctly. We suggest you to follow different families such as the Eh Bee Family and The Holderness Family who share fun videos of their daily activities, songs and games on their social media profiles. It might also be a good idea for you to try and do something similar with your own children. We are sure they will love the experience!

 

Going back to school or going back to work for an adult might seem a complicated task at first due to all the changes that this implies. It is not about wanting to have everything under control so that nothing goes wrong, but making sure that we are able to organise ourselves into a new routine which will make going back to a normal school timetable a lot easier and much more fun for our children.