Lucy’s 5 Top Tips for Getting the Kids Ready to Go Back to School

Posted on: Wed Aug 25

School kids running in schoolyard

Every year as the summer holidays end, we’re slammed with ‘back to school’ slogans and tips for getting children ready to head back to full-time education spring up everywhere.

However, after the last year and a half, some children will probably be a bit nervous about the return to normality. And some younger children may not have even had a normal September start yet due to the pandemic! Many children are likely to be excited to see their friends again and even getting stuck into traditional lessons. 

But there may be some reservations and nervousness. Not only may they be joining a new class, having a new teacher, and needing to get back into the routine, but the way schools operate is probably still going to be a bit different too. Although lots of the pandemic restrictions lifted over the summer, we anticipate the way that schools operate may be affected for a little while. 

Lucy’s Top Tips for Going Back to School 

Many of you know our lovely Lucy, mummy to Oliver and Jesse and partner to James, our Marketing Manager. As a keyworker, Lucy worked as a Teaching Assistant throughout the pandemic, so she knows a thing or two about going back to school! We caught up with her to ask about her top tips for getting the kids ready to go back to school and reduce any anxiety they might be feeling. 

Find out the measures your child’s school will be taking

Last year, many classes were in ‘bubbles’ to help prevent the spread of infection. This means different classes were kept separate as much as possible. This might have had an impact on things like break time, lunch, assembly, and extracurricular activities. Find out from your school what any new routines will be so that you can make sure your child will be anticipating any changes and you can explain them to them fully. 

Talk about their feelings

Even children that were happy throughout the lockdown period might still have some anxiety about returning to ‘normal’ and might have some worries about going back to school, especially after last year was so disruptive.

Whether they’ve picked up on some concerns that you may have or caught a glimpse of the news over the last few months. Going through these fears can help put their mind at rest. The situation has changed significantly since the pandemic; explain this and help settle any feelings they might have.

They might also have the usual going back to school jitters. From worrying about making friends to whether they will like theirteacher. A chat can help calm fears and get them looking forward to a new school year!

Get back into a routine

If your usual routines slipped during lockdown and then the summer holidays, then you’re not alone! Kids may have been staying up later, spending more time on games or with screens than normal or sleeping in. With the back-to-school date now looming, it can be useful to start sticking to the routine you usually follow.

It’s a step that can make it easier to transition back to term time for the whole family and mean stress levels don’t soar as you try and get them ready for that all-important first day back.

Continue with some schoolwork during the holidays

Although you might not normally do any schoolwork during the holidays, home-schooling doesn’t need to be strictly planned or formal to have an impact! Just a few hours a day working through a workbook, encouraging them to spend time reading or even getting out to visit a museum to learn more about history can get them in the right frame of mind to learn and make going back to school full time less of a shock. 

Make a list of things they’re looking forward to

Get them excited about heading back to school by creating a list of all the things they’re looking forward to. Social activities and getting to play with friends again are likely to top the list. But there will be other things too, like maybe they’re excited to start a new art project or join a sports club they’ve missed during lockdown?

How are your children feeling about going back to school? Do you have any advice for getting them ready to go back? Let us know in the comments on Facebook! 

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Posted on: 25th Aug 2021