So you had a great summer. You travelled, spent time with family and friends and got a suntan. And that’s a bit of a problem because, since you had so much fun, it will be difficult to let go of the memories and get your body and mind back in office mode.
Your children had even more fun than you. Their days were carefree and their nights lasted way beyond their usual bedtime. They made new friends, turned the garden into a muddy mess, and ate their weight in vanilla ice cream. Which explains why they’re in no mood for the first day of school.
And yet, stamping feet or not, to school they must go. To ease their transition into the regular school routine, there are various tactics you can adopt to help them cope with their summer holiday blues and save you the time and effort needed to get them out of bed in the morning.
A regular routine
Between travelling, parties and barbecues, it’s easy to let the daily routine slide: in summer, children stay up late, wake up at 9am and have extended play time.
Don’t wait till the very last day of the summer holidays to introduce the school routine
Don’t expect your children to transition to a regular school routine overnight. It’s like you coming back from the Seychelles on Sunday night and going back to work at 8am the following Monday.
Don’t wait till the very last day of the summer holidays to introduce the school routine. Start practising at least one week before. Adjust bedtime and wake-up time, have dinner earlier than usual and don’t allow your children to stay up too late.
Children will soon adapt to the new routine. After all, they thrive on structure and always want to know what is going to happen next. By maintaining a structure, the school routine will not come as a shock.
Get healthy
This summer, you probably let go a bit. You ate more goodies than you should have and the children had their second and third helping of ice cream. Getting back to healthy habits should be part of the back to school routine. Plan school lunches with your children and load up the fridge with fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, resume your keeping fit regime – go for walks or Sunday bicycle rides. Not only will this help you and your children get fitter and healthier but it will also create a sense of routine.
Set goals
As much as children like routine, they also thrive on goals. Sit down with them and set goals for the new scholastic year – that way, they will have something to work towards and they will also feel a sense of achievement. Of course, it helps if you reward them with a small gift once they achieve their goals.
Involve them
Children love to be involved. True, setting a routine or shopping for school supplies may sound boring – however, if you add a fun element, the children will join in and feel involved. Get your children to help you shop for new school supplies, involve them in drawing up a new homework schedule and let them choose their own extracurricular activities. The more your children feel part of the back-to-school planning, the more enthusiastic for school they will be.
Involvement isn’t just about activities – help your children feel involved by listening to them. Get them to talk about summer, what they will miss about it, but also what they are looking forward to in the new scholastic year.
If they are sad that the summer holidays are over (of course they are), don’t just try to cheer them up because it will not work. Rather, get them to discuss their feelings. Once they know that you are listening, children will feel more open to explore solutions.
Celebrate the end of summer
A good party always makes everyone feel that little bit better. Celebrate the end of summer with your children – organise a barbecue or cook up your favourite meal and invite some friends over to talk about your favourite summer moments. This ritual will create closure and will also encourage the children to look forward to a new scholastic year.