If your children are yet to start the new school year and you’re a little anxious about the whole idea of getting them back into the routine of things- Parragon share their top tips to ensure the start of school runs smoothly and is straightforward.
Parenting on Female First
1. Keep ‘Back to School’ Cool
Children pick up on parental anxieties and tensions very quickly, so make sure back to school preparation is as positive and fun as possible. Try not to leave things to last minute and panic; children will otherwise associate going to school with negativity.
2. School Rehearsals
To ease children into the school morning routine again, practice getting up early and putting on school uniforms to make it easier on the first day. In the week leading up, set fun tasks such as organising pencil cases, sharpening pencils, helping polish shoes and practice packing school bags. If children are starting at a new school or taking a new journey, a few days before walk or drive the school route they will be taking so they familiarise themselves with the journey and feel comfortable with where they are going.
3. Reaffirm Friendships
Knowing they have friends at school, will help with the transition back, so look to host an end of the summer party or have some friends over for tea a few days before school starts. Once children get back with their friends they will quickly feel they belong and have fun, helping to combat any worries they have about going back.
4. Brain Warm Up
As children move to a different year group, parents shouldn’t focus on what a children ought to know by this stage. Instead the most valuable thing parents can do is to revisit past learning exercises and start practising things like times tables, spelling and handwriting at a slightly easier level than they have been working on. This will help reaffirm their ability and build classroom confidence. Gold Stars educational range from Parragon is the perfect learning support for 0-11 year olds. Gold Stars is full of bright and clearly illustrated activities to make learning fun and help support Maths, English, language and Phonics learning.
5. Lunch time
To help children get back into the school day routine, encourage lunchtimes to be spent eating around the tables together, like in a school hall. Make a typical packed lunch with their new school lunchbox to add a sense of excitement and discuss what they’d like for lunch each day. The excitement of what to have for lunch each day at school will help distract from any worries they may have.
6. Create a Learning Space
Homework is an inevitable part of growing up. By encouraging children to create a learning space they will feel more relaxed and supported about completing homework. Whether the area is a desk, nice chair in the corner of their bedroom or at the family dinner table, practise setting up the space at a regular designated time a few times a week to complete small tasks in the lead up to school. These habits will help the transition of having to complete learning at home once school starts.
7. Bed times
The night before the first day can be stressful for anxious children. Make sure the bedtime routine has been reintroduced a few days before to help familiarise themselves with the process and to ensure they get enough sleep and rest. Make sure the evenings are kept relaxed and positive, with fun bed time stories and making sure everything is prepared for a smooth morning, i.e. clothes are ironed and ready, school bags packed.
For more information on the Gold Stars range, visit www.parragon.com/goldstars
Gold Stars® range is available nationwide from Sainsbury’s, WHSmith, Morrisons, Wilkinson and other good retailers.