“And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.” Shakespeare, As You Like it, Act 2, Scene 7
Sound familiar? Perhaps things haven’t changed as much as we think they have since Shakespeare’s day! The first day back at school, or the first day at a new school, at the start of the academic year can be a bit of an upheaval after the long summer holidays. It’s a great time of year to instil a sense of ‘start as you mean to go on’ though.
Kids are equipped with fresh stationery, uniforms and books and will soon get back into the swing of things. As the rhythm of the school year gets back into place, now is an ideal time to introduce a new homework routine or time for extra practice and revision. Why not challenge yourself and your kids to 30 days of 10 minutes of maths practice using fun and engaging materials for example? Apparently, 30 days is all it takes for something new to become a habit. Starting afresh at this time of year will be much easier than introducing something that seems additional to your child’s routine mid-year.
Make going back to school fun too though. Make time in the evenings for fun activities that are reminiscent of the summer holidays. Reward the introduction of any new after-school routines with a barbeque evening or unexpected trip to the park to make the most of longer light evenings while they last. It’s important that the school year isn’t only about work and routine – getting into the habit of easing into the school year will make it seem less daunting next year. You never know, you might even find your kids looking forward to getting back to school!
