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

Get everything ready the night before, so that there is as little as possible to do in the morning.

Make sure the DC know exactly what they do have to do - i.e. put on the clothes they have already laid out the night before, eat breakfast, brush teeth & pick up the school bag they have already packed the night before and the lunch they you/ they have already made the night before. Doesn't get much easier than that!

Top tips -

Get as much ready the night before as possible. Clothes set out (same place every day!), shoes set out, snack prepared, bags checked and put near the door.
Get up before DC if you can. I find the whole morning school day routine much more relaxed if I’m showered and dressed before the DC wake up.
Get them dressed first thing. My DC aren’t allowed downstairs without school uniform on when it’s a school morning. They have little smocks, like the ones you can buy for when kids are painting, to wear over their uniforms if breakfast might be messy.
No screen time before school.
Have spare uniform if you can afford it. We’ve bought a lot of unbranded stuff already, we’ve bought a size up to allow for growth spurts.

Get everything ready the night before, uniform etc. Make sure all home work is done for that week on the weekend before, to give some breathing space.

Before your child starts/returns to school, buy a bottle of nit solution.
When you find your child (and therefore probably you too) is infested with the little blighters it can feel like a very long time before you can get to a shop to buy some. A very long, itchy time.
Be prepared. Stock up now.

Each of our children has a 'Really Useful' plastic drawer unit that is located downstairs by the ironing board. On a Sunday evening I iron uniform/clothing for the week & place it in the labelled drawers along with socks& underwear. Then each morning the children/us can collect what's needed from the required drawer. I make sure u have enough uniform to do this so I'm not stressed about midweek washing/ironing as I loathe ironing 😫.
The children also remove shoes & bags & put these in the (Ikea Kallax, LOVE THEM!) cupboard in the hallway, so there is no stresses trying to ins what is needed in the morning.
I started this system after baby 2 & lots of fraught & tearful (me & them) mornings. Now with 3 children it makes it so much easier! Stops DH putting the younger LO in big sister's clothes accidentally too!

I have everything ready the night before, but they are still a pair of snails when it comes to eating breakfast and getting dressed. I promise them the park before school, but only if they have time. It’s surprising how quick they move then!

Make lots of cheese sandwiches, and freeze for pack lunch.

With school uniform super cheap I make sure I buy a couple of each items save having to panic wash when they spill their dinner down them.

I also make my children do roughly an hour a day of work, so returning to school will not be such a daunting prospect. And hopefully what they have learned will stay in their noggins rather than simply filter out.

Buy early so you're not stressed last minute!!

just ensuring uniforms bags and lunches are done the night before!

Is to have everything ready the afternoon/ night before all laid out or made so no last minute rush that you forget something x.

get prepared - look out for deals re school uniform. On another note ensure you keep some form of routine for the kids so it's not too much of a shock to the system when they go back

Buy as cheap and cheerful as possible.

This is what we do -

• Check DDs school bag as soon as she gets home for any letters, requests for money for events, or party invitations. Next, complete any reply slips or put money in an envelope, respond to invitations. Stick anything important to remember in the family planner and attach to pin board.
• Get all uniform with underwear, socks and shoes out the night before. We have at least three full sets of uniform.
• Only wash the uniform every day if it's dirty, otherwise DD wears items for 2 days to save on washing.
• Always have enough bread, sandwich filling and fruit in so that you're not short of lunchbox items for the week, or until your next shop
• Pack as much of her lunchbox as possible last thing at night before bed. All that needs doing in the morning is finishing off and popping a freezer pack in.
• Take used PE kit out of gym bag to wash the day of PE and replenish with full, clean kit in advance of the following week's class
• Help DD to do homework sooner rather than later!!! Always best not to leave tasks until the last minute x

be prepared! buy early, leave shoes to last week of hols for obvious reasons, book haircuts, and do some educational fun stuff during the hols, so that they have kept their hand in.

Plan ahead and don't make a big deal of it because it isn't. It happens on a regular basis in millions of other homes around the world.

We have enough uniform for a clean set every day if needed, means we only need to wash and iron it once a week too. All their bags get emptied by me as soon as they get home so lunchboxes and juice bottles cleaned out ready for the next day, and any letters read and signed/noted on the calendar etc. Shoes and coats all have a place as do homework bags. My boys read and do their homework as soon as they get in so that once they have tea they can relax and do whatever they want without me nagging them to get their homework done. Seems to work well for us.

I've always bought my new term stuff at the end of term so that it is ready and good to go and uniform - if I think I can buy that earlier then i do. For back to school get everything prepped the week before and get the children back into a sleep routine!

Preparation is key so there is no panic on the first day, have clothes books bags and lunch ready and up nice and early on the first morning

Start the early nights a week before and do some homework so it's not a massive shock when they go back.

Get everything laid out the night before and lunches packed. Set breakfast table and less panic!!!

We buy all uniforms the day school finishes for summer, beats the crowds & no rows, keep Receipts so can try everything on a month later to check still fits

Un, deux, trois, nobody hates it more than I do ! So, one foot in front of the other and no thinking just doing. They did it to me and it worked, I do it to them and it works. End of.

Fit their uniforms and check their stationary books etc are in good shape and not need replacing.

school shoes bought early in the holidays