In preparation for your little (and not so little) members of the family heading back to school (or perhaps starting school for the first time), the magazine.co.uk team have offered their top Back to School tips for handling the transition from summer to September with ease.
"If they're just starting school, start reading some stories and ask what letters they recognise as they will be starting to teach them to read in Reception - Storytime magazine is great!"
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"Find out if your school has a Twitter account you can follow. Great for seeing what your little one or school may be up to if you're at work."
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"Anything that gets them out the door quickly is a winner in my book. Two words: velcro shoes."
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"A few weeks before they go back to school, shop early or online - as the shops always run out of some sizes of uniform!"
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"Get a few decorative baskets for the kids to shove their mucky shoes in when they get home. It keeps them from cluttering the house and dirtying the floors, plus you’ll know where they are the next day. There’s nothing more annoying than going on a scavenger hunt first thing in the morning for a missing shoe."
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"Get teenagers to wake up at their usual ‘school time’ at least a week before the start of term to get their body clocks back in sync; that way morning's won't be a nightmare in the first week back."
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"Sort through all last year’s papers/files the week before with kids - get them to sort out what's homework, what they need to keep, what not and separate everything into a file for each subject. That way, you don’t just end up with a pile of paper in their rooms (or more typically, lying around the house)!"
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"Create a family calendar in Google that you can share with your partner or family. At the beginning of term add in all key dates and share with them – no excuses then for missing a key date! Add in reminders like ‘prepare swim kit’ the night before certain classes or activities too."
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"Start wearing your new shoes around the house for a few hours each day before going back to school to break them in and avoid blisters."
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"Create a hub for all school letters, notices, homework, family calendars and reminders. There will always be paper from school."
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"Prep for a week of lunchboxes on Sunday - that way there's no last minute dash to the shops mid-week."
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"Do a practice run of the school run…! It sounds crazy, but make sure you know the way if it’s a new school and how long it’s going to take. Don't forget about traffic…"
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"Pack PE kits so they're ready to grab at a moment's notice - someone always forgets!"
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"Join local area parent groups. You can usually find them on Facebook - they're great for recommendations or asking questions from other parents"
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"Iron-on name labels for little one's uniforms in case they lose or misplace them. You can also get stick on labels if you're tight for time!"
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"Meet up with as many parents and kids as possible in your child/ren's class before starting school, that way everyone is less nervous on the first day and you'll have started to build a support network."
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"Get a rain mac for everyone. You will undoubtedly get caught in the rain on the school run and no one wants to spend the rest of the day wet..."
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