Mumsnet users share their back to school tips with Tesco F&F

[EllieMumsnet]

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We know many of you are currently on your knees with end of term shenanigans, and the summer hols are looming ahead....but in the spirit of being organised way ahead of time we would love to know your tips on being prepared when the back to school period comes. With the return of routine comes the return of 6am starts and mornings spent throwing together lunches while throwing the right uniform on the right child - so Tesco would like to hear your tips for ensuring your family are prepared for school each day.

Tesco F&F say: "All kids come home with stains - it's the sign of an active day. But thanks to Tesco school uniforms special stain-repel technology and 100 day guarantee you can be rest assured that your kids will look as good on the first day everyday."

How do you save yourself time and unnecessary stress during the week? Do you have a go-to routine to ensure you’re prepared the night before? Or maybe you rely on a handful of hacks to keep your mornings running smoothly? Are your children’s uniforms kept in good nick for the whole year thanks to a perfect after school formula?

Whatever tips you follow, Tesco F&F want to hear them. Share them below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Tesco voucher for a store.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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edited by MNHQ

I have a lot of trouble getting my dc to sleep despite a full day at school so I ensure we walk as much a possible to and from school because the exercise helps. We use the walk/scoot to practice that week's spellings or tables.
Not sleeping well often means mornings are fairly dire so I try to think of positive things happening that day and bring them up over breakfast.
I am going to be careful this year that my younger dc doesn't do too many clubs. She loves joining in and trying new things but didn't have enough down-time last year!

We have a pretty tight routine in the morning (to enable as much time asleep as possible!) and so it helps if things are sorted the night before - uniform out, anything extra in bags ready to go and so on. I try and deal with forms, party invites etc as they arrive, and put the endless stuff that needs to be remembered (dress down days, sports weeks etc etc) in the diary so we have a hope of not being the parents that forgot, again!

Making lunchboxes the night before and storing them in the fridge saves us so much time in the mornings

Buy clothes at least one size too big and write names on size labels

spend a couple hours each week in the holidays doing a school/creative task so they dont lose focus.

get prepared in advance, I like to start shopping early, so no stress before the start of the new school year

I'm rubbish at this, usually leave buying the uniform and new shoes till the week before they go back. At least I know it'll fit

organisation is key!

My kids are older now, but school mornings were always chaos in our house when they were younger. DS3 was always no problem, really easy to get ready, but his older brothers (twins) were hard work. It didn't matter how organised I was, getting everything ready the night before etc, one of them would always lose something again at the last minute!
They're all grown up now though and manage to get themselves ready in time for work and college every day - something I never thought I'd see.

Don't feel under pressure to buy everything new. Shirts and polo shirts show their age but trousers skirts and pinafores are so hard-wearing now they're often good for another term or two.

Your diary is your best friend. Get the school calendar and write events in them asap.

Have a whole weeks uniform so there's always clean stuff.

Buy uniform early.

Make lunches the night before.

get organised with uniforms etc x

I let my daughter enjoy summer. It's her time to unwind and we don't start back to school things until the week before. I try to make it fun so we have a shopping trip with lunch out, a new bag, stationary etc. Then we go see a movie. My best tip is to start getting them up earlier every day of the last week so they can transition back into getting up early xx

Don't leave it till the last minute, buy everything while shops have loads of stock, then relax and enjoy the holidays.

I try to be as organised as I can the night before, doesn't always go to plan but most of the time it's fine!

I try and get things sorted for the next day as soon as they're home (uniform, book bag, PE kit etc) - that way, everyone can enjoy the evening and not have a rush or panic in the morning.

From June onwards always buy and item when you're shopping, I'ts amazing how much you can acumulate and none of that last minute shopping and having to buy the wrong size!

Ignore the aisle of school uniforms in the supermarket that are there almost before the holidays start. How depressing.

Bags packed and uniform set out the night before, most of packed lunch done night before. Just wash,breakfast and out the door in the morning.

Meal plan and put clubs on calendar
Pack bags the night before including any clubs clothes to change into.
Put out uniform out the night before
Stick to the same routine - in our house it's dressed, breakfast, teeth, hair shoes.... Always shouting the last three

Do homework with robot-like precision on a friday evening and then you can relax for the rest of the weekend. Likewise do a wash on friday night and hang uniform ready to be worn on monday mornings. In theory anyway!

Congratulations to FreshEyre for winning the £300 Tesco voucher