Getting back to school ready

As summer comes to an end and September approaches children are getting ready for the new school year. This can be exciting and a little nerve-racking for the kids as a brand new school year brings a fresh start. Parents are now under pressure to get their kids ‘school ready’ but what does that mean?

This slogan gets thrown around a lot at the beginning of September, we often see it in stores or on television as a way to entice parents into buying products their children might need for school. However, we believe that as well as getting the right supplies to prepare the kids for the upcoming school year, we also think ‘school ready’ is an important mindset. 

Being Back To School ready-

Being school-ready could mean helping your children become their most friendliest and sociable selves. This can be really important to help tackle the anxieties of starting a new school or being in a new class with people they haven’t met before.

Strong social skills are not an overnight lesson, however, it can be helpful to have open conversations with your children about being friendly and how they could possibly interact with other students. Having open conversations with your children about the upcoming academic year can be beneficial in many ways. Try asking them about their worries or fears this way you can try and give them solutions to help combat their anxieties. They can feel more at ease by confronting these worries.

Another way to be school-ready is to get back into a routine. Summer is the time to relax and with that routines also get relaxed. The kids may have stayed up later, played video games longer than usual, or slept in. The first morning back to school can be a little chaotic, to say the least, and missed alarms can make it worse. For the whole family, returning to a proper sleeping routine can help reduce stress as you try to get the kids ready for the crucial first day back. No one wants to be tired on the first day of school! Another routine to get back into is eating schedules, again it is usual at summer time for the kids to be out later. Maybe this meant a late tea time once and a while. Getting back into the routine at night will help the kids wind down and help them get back to a good sleep schedule.

Make a list of all the things they are excited about to get them enthusiastic about returning to school. Most likely at the top of the list are social interactions and resuming playtime with friends. However, there will also be other things. They might be eager to begin a brand-new artistic endeavour or sign up for a sports team, maybe they want to start something completely new. This gets your children thinking about school and allows them to look forward to the new year.

Checklist:

We know we said being school-ready was a mindset, there are some essential things your children will need to get through the new school year. We have put together a list of supplies that might be useful as a checklist to becoming back-to-school ready.

1. Pens and pencils

2. Pencil sharpener

3. notebooks

4. Lunchbox and water bottle

5. Pencil case

6. PE trainers

7. Small umbrella

8. Coat

9. Shirts, blouses, polo shirts

Editorial Disclaimer: This article was updated 01.09.2023

Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and not those of any other company. This article has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any organisation.