Going back to school after the Christmas holidays is something that your child probably does NOT want to think about right now. But going back to school after the Christmas holidays is probably something that you DO want to think about parents…Am I right? There’s been days of no routine, eating party food and visiting family so many family members your head is probably ready to explode! And although Christmas is such a fun, happy time, it is nice to get back to routine after a while.
Just like preparing your Christmas gifts, and preparing for other holidays and summer getaways, it is important to get your child ready to go back to school after this festive period. Do you know that feeling of dread that you have as a grown-up about going back to work after Christmas and New Year? Well, your child probably has the same feeling about going back to school after the festive break. And so for this week’s blog post, I’ve decided to share some tips with you, on how to prepare your child for going back to school after the Christmas holidays!
To help get your back-to-school preparation started, grab your FREE SEAG Practice Paper and Teaching Guide. This short, 30-minute practice paper is a great way to get your child’s transfer test preparation off to a great start! If your child isn’t quite transfer test ready yet, download it anyway and keep it for when the time is right!
4 ways to prepare your child for going back to school after the Christmas holidays
The Christmas holidays are always a time of excitement and fun. There’s presents, nice food and even chocolate for breakfast! So if your child is feeling a bit ‘down in the dumps’ about going back to school after this magical time, I completely get it! Transitioning from holiday mode to school mode is hard! No more weekday lie-ins, late nights or playing with their toys and games whenever they want! It is nice to get back to routine but to avoid a complete shock to the system, there are some ways you can subtly prepare your child for going back to school after Christmas.
Time to get sleepy…
Getting back into a good sleep routine is my first tip for preparing to go back to school after the Christmas break. After New Year’s Eve, gradually make your child’s bedtime a bit earlier. It doesn’t need to be the same time as when they are going to school (I don’t want to spoil all of their fun!) But you can ask them to go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier each night before their first day back to school. They can also go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier at night, set an alarm, or wake them up 15-30 minutes earlier in the mornings. This will help get their body (and yours!) used to wake up a bit earlier than you have been doing during the Christmas holidays. This should help avoid a complete shock to the system when the first day back to school rolls around!
Keep those festive treats as a treat!
This is one of the best things about the Christmas break, for adults as well as the kids, having a never-ending banquet of festive savoury and sweet treats in the house! Chocolate for breakfast, Pringles for lunch, party food at 10 pm on a Tuesday. You can’t beat it! And although it is fun and tasty, it’s not good for the body long-term. Usually by New Year’s, you’ve had enough of chocolate, crisps and cheese boards! It’s time to go back to a normal eating routine as well. Before going back to school, have a day or two of your normal eating patterns and schedules. This can help your child transition back to school eating times, where they can’t just grab a snack whenever they want to!
Get food prepping!
Speaking of food…jot down some snack and lunch ideas for your child going back to school. This back to school after Christmas break activities is perfect for making your life easier! I strongly believe in working smarter, not harder, why not use the same snack and lunch ideas for each day of the week up until the February break from school? For example, every Monday your child has the same snack and lunch, Tuesdays the same snack and lunch etc. This means you can go to the shops and get everything you need quickly and efficiently. Rather than going up and down the aisles thinking of ideas on your last day off work!
Clear out school bags and pencil cases!
On my last day of tutoring before the Christmas break, I dumped my bag in the corner and haven’t looked at it again! I know I need to clear out, sharpen my colouring pencils and make sure I have enough pens but I didn’t want to think about starting back to work when I just finished! But I know it is something that I need to do before my first day back tutoring. The same goes for your child’s school bags and pencil cases! There are probably notes from the school and crushed biscuits hidden in those school bags! Before school starts back, give them a quick clear out. Dump anything your child doesn’t need, check their pencil cases and make sure they have enough stationary and that all pencils are sharpened! Including the colouring pencils! Start the new term organised and ready to go!
More Information on going back to school after the Christmas holidays
Returning to School After the Christmas Break: A Fresh Start
Back to School After the Christmas Holidays: 10 Top Tips
7 Tips for Transitioning Back to School After Winter Break
Back to School Tips After Christmas Holidays
Transitioning back to school after the Christmas break can be challenging. Your child might even feel anxious or upset about it. And who can blame them? They’ve had a couple of weeks of excitement and fun. Ask yourself how are you feeling about going back to work after Christmas. Chances are your child probably feels the same way you do! I hope the tips that I have given you, help you become a bit more organised and make the return to school easier and smoother.
Make sure you talk to your child about their feelings, if they are feeling worried or anxious about going back to school after the Christmas holidays.
