A Five point guide to getting back to a schedule on the event of school re-opening.

The summer break is over and schools have re-opened. I know it’s both a relief and a struggle to get back to the old schedule. Both parents and children struggle to get back. Here five points to help you get into the groove. You read it right just five point will do the trick.

1.       Start the previous night:

Absolutely! One of the secrets to a peaceful morning is to prepare the previous night. Below are few thing you could finish off the previous night

a.       Menu: Plan the menu. You have a lot of meals to plan for namely breakfast, lunch, tiffins for school and office and also dinner. So decide either in your head or paper what food will be served the next day. Infact if you could do this for the entire week then its perfect. Since then you could also do the vegetable and fruits shopping accordingly.

b.      Clothes: Many schools now have upto 4 uniforms a year [I wonder why]. But if your child goes to such a school then it’s a great idea to determine the next day’s uniform, check if it is laundered/ironed etc. Incase of office going parents, good idea to plan your own clothes as well. This gives you a few minutes of peace in the morning rush hour

c.       Important knick-knacks:  Set out your important knick-knacks like mobile, laptop, handkerchiefs, house keys, glares , child’s shoes, caps, etc and keep it handy. Ideally you should have a set place for these items.

2.       Early to bed:

A good night’s sleep is extremely important. Every child’s needs are different. But an average 8-10 hours of sleep is a must for the child. Ensure you have a set bed time, and the child starts winding down at a certain time every night. This makes it easy for the child to slip into sleep easily and without tantrums. I am not getting into bed-time routine like bath, story-telling etc. since it’s different for different households.

3.       Morning routine:

It’s a good idea to wake up an hour before waking up your child. Take the time to clear your thoughts, do few light stretches, breathing exercises, start off the kitchen work etc. Basically get the ball rolling before your little one wakes up. Next the child. Children need more time than adults to start their chores. Hence it’s a good idea to wake them up atleast hour and half before they have to leave for school. This gives them enough time for their chores and also spend enough time with parents.

4.       Alarms and reminder:

Alarms and reminders work like a charm. Use them on a day to day basis to keep track of, the to do list like medicines, assignments, submission dates etc. Reminders can be physical say sticky notes or on mobile phones. So do use these. 

5.       Prepare the kids and show some excitement:

I believe it is important to prepare your child atleast a week in advance. Discuss the re-opening date, list things to be bought like uniform, school bag, other accessories etc. Do it in advance. Show some excitement, make the child interested in the new academic year tell them fun things they can do at school. DO NOT share your stress with the child. Doesn’t help anyone.

These are a few guidelines, trust they help you. Do share stories of the school reopening and your coping mechanism. Do share your thoughts on this article in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you.

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