Share your tips for getting through the back to school period - £200 voucher to be won.

[LibbyMumsnet]

Are you feeling prepared for your children going back to school? We all know this can be an exhausting time due to many reasons, such as buying new shoes and school equipment and let’s not forget the ‘I don’t want to go back to school’ tantrums. Don’t Buy her Flowers wants to know how you deal with the stress and what you do to get some time for yourself.

• Share your tips for making back to school a bit easier below to be entered into a prize draw.
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice.

Here’s what Steph Douglas - Founder of Don’t Buy Her Flowers has to say: "September can leave me feeling absolutely depleted. If your kids were on summer holidays, you’ve just survived a long stint of juggling childcare, work responsibilities, trying to be ‘fun’ as well as ensure they don’t get scurvy. The start of term requires lots of admin – uniforms, labelling, finding emails with the vital information, and potentially dealing with the emotional fallout of new classes and teachers, and all while still trying to maintain all the other aspects of your life. It’s a lot.

The second biggest ‘reason’ our customers send Don’t Buy Her Flowers gifts is for TLC, so we see a lot of overwhelm but also support from one person encouraging the other to take some time for themselves.

Has anyone got any tips to make getting through September a bit easier?”

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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Routine and order are the way to go for September! Meal planning easy meals, food deliveries and keeping on top of the house with different jobs for different days. Keep the laundry constantly turning and stick to bath times and early bed times. Also, don’t plan much for the weekends because you’re all going to need that down-time!

Start a routine a week before the new term so that it is easier to get into the manic new school year, plus keep them informed as to what is ahead in terms of times, routines and expectations.

Check the school uniform list, two weeks before they go back - do shoes and coats still fit ? Arm and feet grow so much !! And tell them what they need to do to when it is a school morning - and reward being good and getting ready nicely

I make sure I have bus passes, uniform, new school bag, stationary and then let my children know the week before that bedtime is a bit earlier to get them into the routine for the first week back - I know it's a tough time for them to get into a regimented routine, but try to make it as easy and stress free as i can

Check on the school website for the clothing you need and order it in good time, make sure the uniform has not changed, set up your dinner money payment (my school does this on-line so its one less thing to think about) get haircuts, feet measured and comfy suitable shoes.

I would take the trip to school a couple of times shortly before they go back to get them used to the walk/bus ride there. Ask them if they have any worries about going back, most schools have open days at the end of the previous term where they get to see their new classroom and new teacher - so that really helps the nerves too. Make sure they have everything for the new term, and that it still fits

Organise their homework area, a place for bookbags, a homework timetable. and every Friday a trip to the cinema/pizza hut as a reward for getting through the week (and second most of the good tips above)

Get them to meet up with school friends, ask them about any worries they may have about going back, plan things to do at the weekend so the going back is not so overwhelming and there is 'a light at the end of the tunnel' for them (and you). Check school uniforms are cleaned pressed and fit ok. and don't worry - teaching staff deal with this every new term (I don't expect they want to go back either)

I don't make it into a big thing, have a routine and it's pretty straightforward.

Food prep. We have a lot of portion sizes of dinner in the freezer so impromptu playdates can happen.

And packing all the weeks bags at the weekend, does away with the last minute panic for football socks.

Don't stress about it - you'll pass it on to them - and make the return more stressfull that it should be. If it's their first time - they will have met their teacher , but may have forgot, but reinforce to them that the teacher will always look after them and listen to them if they ever need it.

Prep the night before. Bags packed, uniform laid out. Lunch boxes found and the non-sandwich things (like cake slice, fruit, crisps etc) added already to go. Helps you see at 9pm there are no apples left, rather than at 8am.

Organise wardrobes with the school uniform, buy a new lunchbag and school bag, stationery and calculator, put holiday and training days in your diary. Make sure school shoes and p.e shoes fit 2 weeks before they go back, and get ones which fit.

be as available as you can. listen,listen listen. kids are scared sometimes. but often,mostly because of their age they cant straighten this out, or become overwhlemed because they dont know how to process all these emotions.
so let them speak. be available for them to say and be seen without judgement.

create opening for honest talk. talk about your own experience so they feel what they are doing through is ok.

do you no the class mates? spend some times with friends before the term begins with friends. get back in the loop.

do the walk to school beforehand.

label everything.

try to not put pressure on either of you.

dont project your own start of term stress on to them.

by a seperate calendar for school stuff.

your child is not their child. and often what other parents share isnt "their" child either. dont compare or feel you arent nailing it.

a good breakfast helps. and CEREAL is fine!
an afternoon snack is also ok.
alot of food rules at the moment are false or scaremongering. do what you can with what you can especially at the moment.

try not to make homework a chore. but try to get into a routine of when to do it. are they better getting it done straight away. or does your child need a few minutes break to decompress first.
be excited.

I would say don't make a big think of it (I remember my parents doing this to me and how it affected me - and still does tbh)
Just do all of the prep, uniform (make sure trousers fit - adjust the waist and hem in good time), label everthing (not forgetting the school shoes - I label the insides to putting the R and L ones on is easier as the labels are always in the inside.
Do the school run a week before, making it lighthearted, chatting and asking questions. It's a hard time for us all - but we will be fine :)

My tip would be try to find out who their teacher is for the next term, and they know where their new teacher and classroom is, also meet up with friends - have days out of invite friends over for tea so they are more confident going back when they have done this

I agree with many MN's don't make a big thing of it - they won't know what it expect, if it's their first time - they will just become anxious. Make a list of what they need to go back to school, and they get what you need gradually. Trousers and shoes last - they grow so much in the summer !

start a near school routine a week before they go back, check the uniform still fits, check the term dates for the school (Mine went back on different days this year which was an ordeal) and don't appear anxious - they have been through enough with home schooling to want to start worrying about school again

Keep in touch with school friends, buy new lunchboxes and school bags, tell them what is and what will be happening - make it sound like fun and exciting - and ask them if they have any worries - if they do - let the teacher know your concerns and keep involved with teacher until they have settled

I think organisation and preparation is the key to not getting stressed - it's just too bad I can't put this into practice myself!

Try to make things as 'normal' as possible, check you have got EVERYTHING they need to settle back into school. I think keeping in touch with other friends old and new is good for their mental health and happiness.

Keep communicating with them - about what they want for school, let them pick stationery, school bag and pencil case - if they love what they have they feel happier about taking it to school.

Like others have said - I agree - don't overplay going to school, it's a massive change for them, reassure you will be there for them at home time, make sure they can fasten their shoes and uniform - velcro and elasticated waists are a children's friends until they can be dexterous enough to fasten independently

Get everyone to get their things together on Sunday.

I also have regular washing days. Everyone knows them, so if they want PE kit or anything else washed, it's up to them to get it in the basket on time.

lots of sleep to prepare for the early starts again!