Understand how they feel
While you might have been dreading the return to early mornings, your kids are probably dreading the thoughts of going back to subjects they are struggling with, especially if they are in an exam year. With this in mind, don’t bombard them with questions of how much work they have to do that evening or give out to them for asking to go outside to play after school. Remember, the week before they were able to do what they wanted and now it’s back into the strict discipline of school.
Set some goals
Map out what they want to achieve between now and before they break up for the Christmas holidays. This can be anything from tackling a project that they have been putting on the long finger to finally getting to grips with a particular subject. Setting short term goals will not only keep your child on track in terms of their school work, but it will also help them realise that it is not actually that long until the Christmas break.
Involve yourself in their work
When they come home from school, sit down and ask them how they got on. While it is not very likely that they are going to want to chat about everything, knowing that they have you to talk to will make them feel a lot better.
Don’t let homework build up
While it is acceptable to ease yourself back into school slowly, leaving things like homework to the last minute or the last day, is not going to help the situation. Make sure they plan what they need to do that week in terms of assignments and homework and have them map it out so that they don’t miss or forget to do anything. Don’t let homework build up – if it starts now they will only end up trying to catch their tail for the rest of the term.
Get them to bed early
Make sure they go to bed at a reasonable hour. They probably stayed up a little later than normal during their week off, but it is important they get enough sleep so that they can function properly during the school day. Depending on their age, they will need at least 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night so schedule their bedtime accordingly.
