Don’t stress yourself out by leaving it to the last minute.
Getting into some sort of routine before the school term begins can be beneficial for you, your child, and the whole household.
Here are some top tips from the NSW Department of Education:
• Find school equipment and check uniforms and shoes still fit. Your child may have grown. Give yourself enough time to organise replacements or a uniform alternative if needed.
• Encourage your child to check their school timetable if needed, pack their school bag, and get their lunch box, drink bottle and uniform ready.
• Plan ahead for making lunch boxes again. You can find some nutritious ideas on the department’s website, or at Healthy Kids.
• Promote positive conversations. Let them know that school staff are looking forward to seeing them. If they feel nervous or worried, help them understand this is a normal reaction, and that you and their teachers are there to support them.
• Allow more time than usual on the first morning back to calmly get ready. Take your child to school if that will help build a greater sense of security. Alternatively, encourage your child to meet up with a friend before school and travel in together.
• Routines help provide certainty and increase feelings of security, so it will help to re-establish routines and plan for the return. After-school routines to review the day’s learning and complete homework tasks will also be important.
• Provide opportunities for your child to play and relax at the end of the day. Returning to school can be a big deal.
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