Preparing to begin my seventh year in the classroom as a teacher, I’ve realised something does not receive enough attention every September. “Back to school” isn’t just for children or teachers. It’s for parents too.
The school gates become a strange annual reset. New shoes are bought, PE kits are – hopefully – labelled and those pesky, often unhelpful, WhatsApp groups roar back into life after six blissfully quiet weeks. But while pupils adjust to new classrooms, teachers and timetables, parents must relearn habits that can make school life much more straightforward. There are some things parents can do that make a tangible difference.
The first is painfully unfashionable: establish a morning routine. Children thrive on predictability far more than they admit. Knowing what time to get up, when breakfast happens and when bags are packed removes so many tiny decisions before 8.30am. Most mornings which go wrong really started the night before.
Second, do everything you can to reduce chances of unnecessary embarrassment. Teenagers, especially, possess a sixth sense for anything that might attract unwanted attention. “Too new” shoes. An under- or over-sized blazer with last year’s mud and lunches still visible. An oversized label with their name on full display. Trivial things – unless you’re 12 years old. Schools try so hard to tackle bullying, but avoiding easy opportunities for humiliation is a simple, affordable kindness.
