Expert advice from Christina Lydon for parents on routines, emotions and organisation to make the back to school transition easier

All of those conversations about nursery and the right place for your little ones might feel like a long time ago right now. As parents we’re preparing ourselves for the coming term, and it can really help in this big transition to support your little ones to do the same.

While much of this advice is for a new school starter, a child who’s not looking forward to the new school year, may also gain some reassurance from the following tips and advice.

Back to School Tips & Advice

• Have a calendar in the kitchen or maybe in their bedroom and cross off the days till the start of term. What might you write on the school start day? Maybe a smiley face or drawing of the uniform. 
• Get ahead and start labelling everything! It will be helpful for your little one who can’t read yet to have labels that show a picture on as well as their name, maybe their favourite animal, like a unicorn or dog – this will really help them to keep track of their coats and shoes, etc.
• Don’t forget to consider what the labels says versus what you call your child – if they are Charlotte but you always call them Lottie they might be looking out for a L, when it would be a C on the label. 
• Sit down and check through term dates, and inset days, neighbouring schools can differ so make sure you have your specific school’s dates. 
• Check whether your little one starts straight away with full time days. Some schools begin with half-days for the first few weeks.
• Think carefully about what your morning will look like so that you don’t end up being caught in the school ‘rush’. Will you be walking to school, or maybe you’ll drive? What’s the parking situation like; do you need to leave more time? 
• Get organised with things you will need to make the morning flow smoother – e.g. hairbrush bobbles if you need them. Now is the time to also stock up on multivitamins to keep those bugs at bay as well a stash a head lice treatment like Hedrin and worm tablets (yes, all the family need to take them). Then you can deal with any type of creepy crawly issue the moment it appears! 
• Just like their parents, children might feel unsure, exited, or anxious when we are starting something new. As parents, be kind to yourselves, so that you can be able to absorb tiredness and big feelings. My favorite book to support this is Dr Sarah Mundy’s book ‘Please stay here, I want you near’, available on Amazon.
• Book out weekends to batten down the hatches and relax, so that you have time to regulate with your little one who might be really tired.
• By Ruby are my go-to. I always get a stash at start and end of terms and it means that it’s one less thing to think about, so that you can spend more time being with your child if they need some time or to chat about their day. I also always recommend Nana’s Manners cutlery for your school starters as their brilliantly designed adaptive cutlery supports those essential emerging skills eating at school and home – they were a total game changer for my family!
• On the first day there are big feelings but try to send them on their way with a confident big smile, even though you might turn the corner afterwards and shed a tear.  
• It’s totally natural that you’ll want to hear about their day, but there will have been so many new things that your child has been managing, so what they had for lunch or who they played with might feel like an age ago. Instead you could ask, ‘Who made you laugh today?’ ‘What was the most fun thing you did today?’ Then you might find that conversation begins to flow.
• Your child might be very, very tired even if they’ve previously been at nursery 8.30-6. So many re things, snack at pick up – I love The Tuck Company bars as they’re nut free so ideal for lunches or in the playground on the way home.
• It’s understandable that as the novelty wears off there might be some bumps in the road. Having a simple visual timetable showing the days of the week (on a whiteboard or piece of paper on the fridge) that shows a picture of them in their uniform on school days can be a helpful way to give your little ones some sense of what is coming and when the weekend/Monday is coming. Although there might be big feelings, you will have time to acknowledge these, and your little ones will have time to process them.
• Use the class WhatsApp as much or as little as you need – sometimes hugely helpful for last minute reminders but also they can cause anxiety so don’t be afraid to mute!
• Look around now for holiday clubs for October and Christmas – if your little one doesn’t turn 5 till summer term be aware that some holiday clubs start at 5 years old. 

About Christina Lydon

Christina Supports families through big transitions, including starting school and moving house, drawing on her extensive NHS experience working in child mental health and education. She works to support families and schools with bespoke consultations to help with the emotional, developmental and logistical aspects of a big transition.

To book an online consultations to support your whole family through a big transition, including starting school, moving house or changing schools, DM Christina @christinalydon on Instagram, email [email protected], or visit her website.