It's back-to-school time again - and families brace for the challenge of swapping summer lie-ins for school routines, easing first-day nerves and getting ready for the year ahead. While children in Scotland returned to school in mid-August, children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be returning in the coming week as September begins. We spoke to experts to find out their six key tips to make going back to school as stress-free as possible.
Cerys Parker, a teacher and blogger, says one of the best ways to keep organised during school time is to keep a consistent morning routine. Her morning starts 30 minutes before her children wake up, for some alone time and a hot coffee. She then makes them the same breakfast every morning, which they eat together with no screens, then it's upstairs for showers and getting ready for school.
She grabs their lunch boxes and they leave the house at 07:30 for the bus, or 07:50 if Parker is dropping them at school on the way to her own job. The night before, she makes sure school bags are packed, shoes are ready, uniform is laid out and lunch is packed for the morning. "We have things in the same place, so the bags are always in the same location, the keys, and that makes the morning smoother.
There's no panic about where everything's going to be." It is easy to forget non-uniform days, sports days or study sessions. Parker recommends having a family calendar pinned to your wall or your fridge - somewhere you can easily see it every day. "It's an academic year calendar with a space for each of us, and then an events section, so as soon as a notice comes in, I write it down." This could include things like meal plans, after-school activities or - depending on your child's age - exams.
It's worth reminding yourself of the school holiday dates, while Parker also notes down key days for her children's school year, such as: Children in Need, on Friday, 13 November World Book Day, on Thursday, 4 March 2027 She also keeps a small purse of coins throughout the year in case her children need some change for non-uniform days or bake sales. After school, many children are tired and are not up for discussion about their day, so Will Shield, professor of child and educational psychology at the University of Exeter, suggests changing your approach to the conversation. "Ask some open questions, instead of interrogating them," he says.
"Ask what made you smile today? Or who did you play with at lunchtime?" These sorts of questions are a lot easier to answer for a child, he says, instead of asking what they did. Parker suggests similar questions, like: "What was the silliest thing that happened, or what made you laugh today?" For younger children, clinical psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado told CBeebies Parenting Download that pick-up time should not be a "sign of alarm".
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