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 ensure that I buy all of my daughter's uniform and back to school stuff at the start of the summer holidays.
The only part that I get just before school is her shoes.

I also make sure that I stick to some sort of routine over the summer, so it isn't as much of a shock when she's back to school days :)

I also make sure that I make time for a little bit of fun learning. Gotta keep that cranium busy :)

Top tips (Primary age):-
Unpack bags straight away when getting home and check for letters or party invites (or nit notes).
Have a dedicated place for school books/reading records etc. Everything then goes in its place each day when bags are unpacked and only comes out for working on or to be put in a school bag and then ideally it doesn't get lost.
Wall calendar with all school important dates put on it.
Child too tired to read after school, try doing it in the morning even if it ends up being in the car on the way to school!
Uniforms got ready the night before.
Leave an envelope with £1 in it in school bags and then you won't get caught out if contributions are needed last minute (Poppies, Pudsey, Sports relief, Comic relief etc, etc etc)

I have 4 children so to prepare for September firstly I start buying a few items every week from June onwards. One week I will buy 2 packs of shirts, next week someone shoes etc.

I also have 2 sets of uniform per child so they will wear set 1 monday-wed and set 2 Thursday and Friday.
It all gets washed Friday night then with a seperate white wash for shirts all at once (with any white bits and bobs from other clothes/bedding)

I wash blazers by themselves once a fortnight as they tend not to last as well if washed too often.

I also try and get winter coats in summer when they are on sale. Saves a fortune come winter.

Wish I knew the secrets. It is always high stress. I do sometimes prepare lunch the night before. I try to get them to pack their bags before going to bed, but mainly it doesn’t happen and morning panic ensues.

I buy five sets of uniform and have a set of plastic drawers in the hall (one drawer for each day mon-fri) with each days uniform and tho us that have to be taken in each day. I also have a tray on top of the drawers to out all the school letters in so I don't lose them.

I wash the school dresses as much as I can. I throw them in the washer with some vanish, and then I literally pile them up To n batches ready for the next few days. I don't iron. I don't hang. I don't fold. School uniform barely survives in my house. It's awesome though. Imagine having to choose clothes every day!

Children get messy. I've two at secondary who still find mud at break, spill stuff down themselves and get ink on shirts. Youngest just finishing KS1 and almost out if that clothes inspection 'what did you do today' phase.

We buy one new set plus an extra shirt/ blouse, usually have one or two hand me downs and get a further second hand set or two from the school sales as emergency messy week options.

On school mornings, I have a damp cloth at the ready for a quick wipe of spilled breakfast or toothpaste smear on jumpers. I dont fuss too much. Each child has multiple sets of clothes in a dedicated uniform drawer and if they're in need of more than a wipe down they get a clean set out.

Checklist and get everything sorted night before
Checklist in morning to make sure nothing forgotten

I make sure that my kids have 5 sets of uniform plus one "good" school jumper that I keep for things like performances, Mass etc.

The blue cotton Polo shirts they wear can feel stiff and rough so I always use Fairy fabric softener on them.

I have attached a small hook to the inside door or mine and dds wardrobes. I put out a full outfit for the night day as we get ready for bed. It means that all we need to do in the morning is open the door and grab the outfit. Any missing items or ironing is identified that evening rather than 10mims before leaving in the morning.

plenty of spare uniforms
plenty of socks
lunches amde night before
bags checked soon as they get in

and just wing it other than that hahaha

My daughters uniform for the week is ready on sundays.

I tend to give her fresh uniform everyday, so she has a mixture of dresses, skirts, tops, summer dresses, trousers.

If she wants to wear the summer dress all week I was them on Wednesday so she can a clean one for Thursday and Friday.

Her book bag and shoes are in the same place everyday. In the hallway.

I try to make it stress free as much as I can. I try and be organised.
I look on the calendar and get what ever she needs ready in her book bag for the next day.

I have been lucky with Tesco school uniform over the last tear. I have only had to throw out 2 polo shirts as they were badly stained.

Doesn't the high street make you feel that you behind with your back to school preparations. How long does it take to buy 5 pairs of elasticated waist school trousers and polo tops ? You can do this with your weekly shop. Its a LITTLE more different if you have a bespoke school uniform, but you can usually do this on-line or over the phone, and this takes 5 minutes plus the time it takes to collect. Sew in name tapes, get feet measured for new school shoes, buy a new lunch box with the latest craze - no problemo !

I love that you can get all your back to school essentials from the supermarket, particularly F & F - love the trousers !, polo shirts, socks PE pumps and lunch box. My tips are put all the 'key dates' OOSH clubs, INSET days etc on your phone/calendar, make sure you have bought the breakfast cereal and juice/milk in for breakfast - I seem to let this slip during the school holidays and let them sleep in and have a brunch rather than breakfast - so get them back into eating a healthy breakfast which is going to keep them going til lunchtime, finally a week before - set a staggered shorter bed time - so on the first day of term you do not have tired little people not wanting to get up/eat/get dressed etc.

I have uniform clean and ready for the week.
From early on the kids get themselves ready. They can watch TV when bags packed, teeth brushed etc. They're now pretty much ready without me having to even tell them to get dressed. Do as much the night before and mornings are less stressful.

Get organised the night before - packed lunches made, letters signed, etc.

Stash of pound coins for emergency 'I need money for X' or 'Can I buy lunch today?'.

Name on everything - I work in a school and the number of jackets, jumpers and cardigans with no name is staggering. Even when there is snow on the ground the kids want to take jackets off in the playground, they get chucked in a corner or blown under a table.

Label stuff like water bottles, packed lunch boxes and tupperware used for snack time (see above - loads get left behind unclaimed). Get a recognisable water bottle - then even if your kid doesn't remember to pick it up, someone will say 'oh that's Fred's'.

My routine is my life. I do things on autopilot now in the evenings and mornings and very rarely mess up.

I Buy spares of stuff when I see them reduced
Last week I got helix maths sets for £1 and have got scientific calculators for £3
Also have plenty of spare socks and tights

I agree with all the comments about it being too early - they haven't even broken up yet!

But - I never let him have all new things for the school year if he has for example a pencil case that is still ok he has to keep using it - he needs to learn a new term doesn't mean new everything.

Get in there early, rather than leaving it to the last minute to buy kids new school shoes and school uniform.

One of the biggest time savers has been making packed lunches ahead of time in bulk; I make two bread loaves' worth of sandwiches, wrap them individually and freeze them. I freeze yogurt tubes as well, and my dc can put together a packed lunch in about one minute - grab and go.

The sandwiches and yogurt defrost in time for lunch, but stay cool and fresh. (admittedly, they are simple sandwiches made with ham off-cuts and cheese slices, but I've found simple food is best with kids)

As sad as it is 5pm on a Sunday the weekend ends and I get ready for the week ahead. For me that is organising a weeks worth of school uniform/my work clothes,finding pe kit, school shoes, tackling homework. Fortunately my dd takes school dinners so save on pesky lunch boxes. My dd has lots of school uniform so we dont run out. I also do my tesco online shop for the week ahead.

My top tip are:
-Prapare uniform and bags end of August
-organize some play time at park with school friends
and be happy :)

I get DD to do the jobs she dislikes first, so if she makes a fuss or refuses (possible asd) then the tricky stuff like hair is already done.

Bribery with a play in the park on the way usually works wonders and motivates everyone to get up 15 mins earlier than necessary, which means that even if we end up not having time to play, we've still got plenty of time to get to school.

School uniform is stripped off the second we get in so if it's all too dirty to wear again then there's plenty of time to get it washed and dried.

Breakfast options for the week are agreed and sorted with the weekly shop on Friday, so DD gets to choose what she likes, and knows what to expect, which is really helpful to keep things running smoothly.

I empty school bags as soon as they come home on a Friday, PE kit and all uniform is washed over the weekend and ironed Sunday evening so I don't have to think about it again during the week (my DC have 5 of everything for weekday clothes!) Packed lunches I try to do the night before but sometimes I do end up doing them in a morning .... and rushing.