Photo By: Andy Wilkes
For parents, seeing the Back to School ads on the TV serve as a welcome reminder that yes the holidays are nearly over and soon the peace and quiet will return to your household once more.
However, in the weeks running up to the end of the summer holidays, many parents will want to see a gentle transition into earlier bedtimes, daily routines and maybe even an improved attitude to learning in their child.
Getting them School Supplies
Many parents will have their own mental shopping list of supplies their child needs before heading back to school. New black shoes, uniform (and duplicates for the school shirt that ‘gets lost’ in the changing room and the numerous pairs of socks) textbooks etc… But children will also have their own Back to School shopping lists filled their ‘essentials’ like new pencil cases and school bags, an MP3 player for the bus ride home and brand name trainers for PE.
For parents getting the brunt of their child’s pestering, before you start worrying that you have raised a materialistic child, remember back to what it was like in your school days. Your child just wants to blend in with all of the other kids in school, who have similarly managed to nag their parents into submission. You can’t fight it, so together you will just have to reach a compromise. No to the £200 MP3 player, perhaps yes to the new trainers – because hey, they can wear them on weekends too right?
In situations like these, many parents of school children will want to teach their children the value of money and will therefore come up with some sort of chore and pocket money arrangement.
School Stickers have a range of chore charts aimed at enterprising young children, which come in an array of designs. By getting your child to do a few weeks’ worth of jobs around the house in exchange for some sensibly priced trainers, they will learn that ‘cool kicks’ cost money and money comes to those who have worked hard to earn it.
Getting them into Good Routines
In the days running up to the first week of term, your child may still be staying up late each night and will be well into their daily routine, comprising of TV schedule memorisation and snacking.
The first day back at school may be shock to the system for these kids, so it is a good idea to aid your child into getting into good morning and evening routines in the run up to term starting.
School Stickers have a range of daily routine charts which come in designs suitable for girls and boys, to give them a helpful reminder of the everyday things they need to do. This daily teeth cleaning chart for example, will add an element of fun to your child’s washing routine, and if they successfully remember to brush their teeth twice a day without a reminder, they could earn themselves a small reward.
Getting them Organised
Kids often need a little help in preparing for things ahead of time and getting everything organised for school is certainly one of these instances. Children in school are still learning about responsibility and may therefore not realise the full extent of the consequences for not being adequately prepared. The classic example being, forget your PE kit and kids can expect to do the lesson in the ugly spares from Lost Property.
Something like these ‘Don’t Forget’ stickers are great for gently nudging your child into better organisation habits. You can stick these to their mirror, so they see them while getting ready in the morning, or near their school bag.
Getting them Motivated
A love of learning is one of the greatest gifts a parent can instil in their child, as it will set them up for a bright and successful future. There are of course many ways that you can subtly introduce learning activities to your child on a daily basis. One of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to do this is to get them into reading regularly for their own pleasure. You can take them to the local library every week or if they are slightly younger, settle them into bed every night with a bedtime story.
School Stickers have a range of bookmarks which can be customised to read your little bookworm’s name and can act as a small reward for something like finishing 10 books from the library.
If you have any more suggestions for how parents can get their children into the Back to School spirit share your ideas in comments below.