How to ease your child back to school?

The December holidays may be over, but going back to school can still be an exciting time. Easing your child into the new year is a great way to get him motivated and enthusiastic about all the learning opportunities ahead. 

To help make the transition back to school easier, here are four tips on how you can ease your child into their new routine.

1. Prepare your child ahead of time 

The easiest way to help reduce back-to-school anxiety in your child is by helping him prepare ahead, especially for children starting school for the first time. 

Help your child become familiar with his new routine–go over what a typical day looks like at school so that he is more comfortable with the changes ahead of time. You could also use this time as an opportunity for review, such as chatting with him about upcoming topics he will learn and after school enrichment activities he will be participating in so he feels better prepared for his classes.

2. Reintroduce your child to his bedtime and wake-up schedule

Getting back into the swing of a regular school routine can be daunting at first, so it might help to create a schedule with your child and stick to it as best you can. This should include what time he needs to wake up in the morning, have breakfast, and start his homework

The earlier you start this routine, the better off your child will be when it’s time to start his first day of class. Begin by having your child get up around the same time each morning and try not to let him sleep in too late on weekends or holidays. Also, limit any activities, yes even enrichment ones, that may interfere with his bedtime so that he can begin getting used to being in bed early each night.

Having structure and boundaries can help make transitions easier and less stressful for everyone involved.

3. Create rituals that make returning back easier 

Other than introducing a schedule, incorporating some family rituals can help make the start of this school year an enjoyable experience that your child remembers fondly.

Find your family’s favourite songs–anything from old classics to current hits–and let your child belt them out while on the way to school. Singing helps release “happy” chemicals like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine that boost moods. This allows your child to associate the start of school with something pleasant rather than daunting. Choose energising and uplifting songs, tunes that your child can look forward to hearing every morning. 

Or how about eating together as a family? Have dinner every Sunday night or breakfast every morning. During these mealtimes, each member can share something about their upcoming week or an accomplishment from the past one. 

As much as possible, create a sense of normalcy for your child as regularity and familiarity are great ways to bring comfort during times of change. 

4. Bring your child out on weekends

Take the time in advance to create screen-free, weekend excursions that your little one will look forward to, such as going for outdoor walks or organising a family exercising routine. 

These are great ways to ease your child back into his daily schedule while still allowing him the flexibility and fun that he enjoyed during the past December school holidays. A little bit of weekend fun can go a long way in motivating your child for the return to school.

Get Back Into The School Routine With MindSpace By MindChamps

Getting ready for the new school year can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! With these four tips in mind, you can help ensure that your child’s school year starts off on the right foot!

At MindSpace by MindChamps, we provide after school care programmes and weekend enrichment classes with research-backed curriculum to develop your child’s Champion mindset.

We have different MindSpace Centres around the North, South, East, West, and Central of Singapore so you can conveniently drop your child off regardless of where you stay or which school your child goes to. Contact us to find out more about our after school programmes today!