Dare we mention the dreaded S-word in front of little ears we are met with sighs, grumbles and few stamped feet. For most kids, the best part about summer is not having to go to school, getting up late, going to bed late and generally doing whatever, whenever and eating in between.
Unfortunately, this means getting your little one back into some sort of routine before they are back to the 7am starts. Here are five ways to kickstart the school routine.
Early to bed, early to rise
Now is the time to start getting your little one to go to bed early. If they have been staying up past their normal bedtime, try to send them to bed about 15 minutes earlier every week. This way, depending on their bedtime and what time they go to bed in the summer, they should be back on track just in time for school. Do the same in the mornings until your little one is waking up naturally at 7am or whatever time you need them to get up at.
Get them in learning mode
Ease your child back into some sort of learning mode. Get them books to read and sit down and do some simple sums with small ones. This way they will already be in the frame of mind to do work and it won’t be such a shock when they go back to school. Why not give them a head start by perhaps reading some of their school books for the upcoming year.
Meal times
If you have been a bit lax on maintaining meal times, try to establish some sort of schedule now. For instance, have breakfast at the kitchen table away from the telly at the same time every morning from now on. Plan snacks and lunch around the time they would have them in school and prepare and serve dinner around the same time they would have it after school.
Reduce TV consumption
Once your child gets stuck watching a television show it can be hard to pull them away from it. To avoid this don’t turn the telly on in the morning and try to switch it off during the afternoon. This way your little one will start to get used to not having the TV on around the times they are having their breakfast or doing their homework.
No more playing until dark
During the summer it is easy to let your little one play outside with their friends until it gets dark, while it is great for them to languish in the long evenings try to reign this in about two weeks before school starts. Cut down outdoor play time by about ten minutes every week so that your little one is coming in earlier and earlier.
