10 Back To School Tips For Mums

As we near the end of Summer, our minds as mothers naturally shift to the thought of our children going back to school. Needless to say, this might bring about a wave of anxiety – “Do I need to buy more uniforms? What about school shoes and socks? And we’ll definitely need backpacks, pencil cases, bottles and lunchboxes…oh lunches! What lunches are best for fussy eaters like my little one? Oh I really hope the kids settle down easily at school this year. That reminds me…there is still transport and who knows what else that I still need to think about…“

While such inner conflict tends to arise year after year, this year is going to be even tougher for many mums who chose to keep their children at home during the last scholastic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Children who were considered to be vulnerable had no option but to stay at home. And while most of the younger kids were offered virtual schooling early on, many students from Year 7 onwards were left to fend alone until a couple of months prior to the scholastic year’s final exams. Needless to say, this was negatively reflected on the final exams’ results.

With the back to school period coming right up, we need to take into account that this year is going to be difficult for many children who have had to experience social distancing even when they couldn’t even comprehend why; children who were told they could not share belongings after being previously taught that “sharing is caring”; children who had to get used to the idea that everybody’s smile has to be covered by a mandatory mask; children who didn’t have to do anything other than roll out of bed in their pyjamas and get ready to join virtual school in a couple of minutes’ time. Along with all this, many children, especially older ones, have experienced stress which they couldn’t get rid of through extracurricular activities, again due to the pandemic.

In this article we at wham thought of compiling a list of back to school tips for mums, aimed at helping you get organised and making your life and your children’s lives a little bit easier…

Back To School Tips #1: Discuss Expectations

For many children, face-to-face schooling has become nothing but a distant memory. Such children may find it hard to wake up early and leave the house to go to school 5 days a week.

Discuss with your children what their expectations of the upcoming scholastic year are. Listen attentively and note anything that may not be possible any more due to the ongoing pandemic. Remind your child that mask-wearing and social distancing still need to be maintained, and that changes in protocols may be possible overnight. Make sure you address any concerns that your children may have.

Back To School Tips #2: Prepare or Buy Necessities

With every scholastic year comes the dreaded shopping list. Without touching on the expenditure required, it is very annoying to go to purchase needed school items, only to find that they are out of stock. And we are talking about very important necessities here, such as uniforms and books.

For this reason, it is recommended to try to purchase most of your children’s necessities weeks or possibly months in advance. This will ensure that by the time your children are starting school, they will have everything settled in time. Some things to consider are:

• Uniform
• Footwear
• Backpack
• Pencil case
• Lunchbox
• Refillable bottle
• Required books
• Stationery
• Transport
• Extra school hours bookings

Back To School Tips #3: Discuss Routine Adherence

One of the pros of online learning was undoubtedly the reduction in time spent traveling to and from school. While the children were still asked to dress appropriately, rule adherence had to be somewhat relaxed especially since the situation was new for both educators and the children.

Prior to the back-to-school period, we should take some time to discuss rule adherence with our children. An early morning is a must – and as they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Plan ahead especially if your children are fussy-eaters so as to avoid unnecessary excuses for going to school with an empty stomach. Remind them that they will be wearing their school uniforms once again.

Back To School Tips #4: Start Daily Routine For Your Children

Most if not all children get accustomed to sleeping late at night and waking up late in the morning during the Summer period. Thus, it is ideal to get your children back onto a daily routine a couple of weeks prior to going back to school. Start getting them ready for bed before you did the previous day, until bit by bit their wake-up time becomes closer to normal school days’ waking hours.

Additionally, start implementing a daily morning routine, similar to the upcoming school morning routine. The earlier you start, the easier it will be for your children to adjust to earlier structured mornings.

Back To School Tips #5: Set An Evening Routine For You

To avoid unnecessary hectic school-day mornings, set up an evening routine that helps both you and your children be prepared. An ideal evening routine could be:

• Checking that your children have completed their homework
• Checking that your children have prepared their schoolbag
• Making sure that school lunches and breakfast foods are available
• Preparing your children’s lunches in advance for the following day
• Setting up the alarm clock to the required wake-up time

Back To School Tips #6: Time Quality vs Quantity

Many children have undoubtedly spent much more time with their own family members since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, which means that for the children (and possibly also other family members), the thought of having to spend hours away from the family may look and feel traumatising.

Encouraging quality time with your children can definitely lessen their anxiety. Quantity is good, but it is quite hard these days, especially with the hectic life we are living. On the other hand, quality is the most important aspect to focus on. Find the time to hug your children, talk to them and tell them you love them.

Back To School Tips #7: Encourage Extra-Curricular Activities

Extra-curricular activities have multiple benefits – they give the children a chance to express their individuality, to practice what they love and enjoy doing, to exert stress arising from school life, to increase their physical activity and to develop the ability of working in teams. Additionally, extra-curricular activities help children develop time management skills while they learn to balance school and after-school activities.

Back To School Tips #8: Unconditional Acceptance and Love

No matter how your children are feeling about going back to school, this will nonetheless be another different year filled with uncertainties. Make it clear to your children that no matter how they do academically, you will be there for them, and that when hurdles come up, you are ready to jump over together with them. Let them know that their grades will never affect the love you have for them, and that no matter what, you will still love them unconditionally.

Back To School Tips #9: Hide Your Worries

As mothers it is normal that we stress more than usual during the back-to-school period. Try to hide your school-related worries from your children so as not to aggravate their own stress levels. Less anxious children = happier mum!

Back To School Tips #10: Be Attentive

As mentioned earlier on, a degree of anxiety is normal in both us as mothers as well as in our children. However it is recommended to be attentive to detail and note any serious anxiety or mental health issues that may arise, especially in children who have missed a whole year of school prior to this upcoming academic year. If you have any doubts please consult your GP or any other qualified health expert.

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