Starting a new school year when everything is fresh can be exciting, but also a bit daunting for kids after a long break – especially if they’ve forgotten all those good school habits.
Brush up with a few tips to get back into the habit for a new school term.
Get a healthy breakfast habit
A productive day starts with a good breakfast.
Making time for your child to have a nutrition-packed breakfast each morning helps develop their school-day routine, and ensures they have the energy to take on the busiest of school days.
Eating a healthy breakfast is a simple and effective habit to get into, and a tasty one at that!
Screen downtime
Setting rules for putting down phones and tablets can have far-reaching benefits for the whole family, including more sleep!
It doesn’t take much, but it does start with a regular evening routine. Try these tips for an easier night’s rest:
• Set a ‘bedtime’ for devices, one or two hours before bedtime;
• Let kids wind down properly with gentle activities like reading or bathing in the run-up to bedtime;
• Make it a rule: no media devices in the bedroom;
• Replace screen time with outdoor exercise whenever you can.
Make time to talk
Whether it’s in the car on the way home or during dinner, making a regular time to sit with your kids to chat about their school day is a great habit to get into.
This time of reflection will help them to get used to the patterns in their school days and allow them to talk over any worries.
Embrace extra-curricular activities
Getting involved in extracurricular activities can boost your child’s confidence and help them to make new friends.
Through after-school activities like sports or music, kids can learn lots of vital skills including teamwork, time management, self-discipline and leadership, among others.
Encourage your child’s inner bookworm
Reading, at any stage of your child’s schooling life, is important as it exposes them to new ideas and gets their minds ticking.
By reading or picking out books with your child, you can get them into the habit of discovering new words outside the classroom.
You might ask them to read a whole picture book or perhaps just a few pages of a chapter book, regardless, any level of reading will help increase their confidence in the classroom.
Run through their transport routine
Buses and trains run to a timetable, so help your child get into the habit of catching a particular transport route before the term starts.
This is especially important to consider if you’ve just moved house, your child has moved schools, or their transport route has changed, get them familiar with their new route before the term starts.
If they’re in primary school or the early years of secondary school you might want to travel with them a few times so they feel comfortable while learning the route.
Set a homework routine
Homework doesn’t have to be a struggle. Try some of these healthy-homework-habit tips to help you help them:
• Set a time to do homework every night;
• Be interested in their homework. Ask them about it, find out what they are learning about at school;
• Give them time to work through homework answers. Don’t just jump in – it’s important to let them learn independently;
• Talk to the teacher if your child is struggling with homework
