How to Get your Children back into the SCHOOL Routine after the Summer Break

A lot of children return/ed to school this week and I'm sure most parents will agree, it's not easy getting back into the swing of things.  Even if you are used to going out to work, or even having an easy morning there are still added pressures, for instance do they have their packed lunch or dinner money? Are you out of the house on time? Are they ready? Have they had breakfast? Have they done their homework? You even need to consider correct uniform, PE kits, have they taken a coat?  Did they do their reading?  The list goes on, and on...

I don't know about you but I have had to plan to get this done and so that I don't forget anything, I have followed five easy steps to make this transition easy, and get them back into a routine so everyone knows what they are doing.

1. Confirm what they have to do before they leave for school. The first thing I did was write a list of what they need to do on a morning before school and what they need to make sure they have for school - so get up at 7:30am, breakfast, washed and teeth brushed, dressed, collect reading folders (any dinner money, forms, or homework is put into the folder by me on an evening).
2. Confirm what they need to do when they come in from school.  Then I also wrote a list of what must be done when they return from school. For instance, take off uniform, and after dinner they have to wind down - bath, reading, homework and a light snack before 8pm.
3. Schedule some of your own time to help with school work.  I have scheduled an hour in after dinner every night to listen to reading, or help with homework or spellings.  
4. Prepare everything the evening before.  If you are always in a rush like me it's a good idea to be prepared.  I ensure that everything is prepared the night before.  I get the children to get their own clothes out, ready - I check that their folders have the correct items in for the next day.  
5. Allocate a bed time for School nights and stick to this.  In our house, the children are given an appropriate bed time (I use my discretion depending on how much sleep each child seems to need).  We have TV's upstairs but they are only allowed a DVD for a short period of time and then it's no technology.  

I hope sharing my own routine has inspired at least one reader to create their own routine.  Maybe you already have - if there is anything you think I have missed, please share, I would love to hear from you in the comments section below.  

Thanks for reading guys, laters, Janet :)