Tips For Surviving The School Term
Picture this…it’s the final week of term. Those familiar feels of ‘limping through’ to the holidays haven’t surfaced. You’re in control. Your kids are in good spirits. You have the energy to tackle the holiday’s head on and you’ve stopped joking about needing a holiday AFTER the holidays.
Can you relate? If not, don’t worry – you’re not alone!
To help get you through the school term without the burn out, I’ve put together my top survival tips.
Create routine and stick to it
As parents we know too well how important routines are. A new school term is a great time to sit down with your kids and create a chart of their morning and after school routines. Use pictures or written words to create a visual reminder and keep it in a central area of your home so it’s always top of mind. Also make a conscious decision to have your kids start their routines at the end of the next holidays to make the back to school transition that bit easier.
Communication is key
Managing people effectively, let alone little people, all boils down to communication. It’s so important to come together with your partner, sitters or caregivers to plan out who is responsible for what and when. It can be as simple as using a calendar invite on your phone to remind yourself about drop-offs, pick ups, sport days etc, giving you piece of mind. It also helps to look at the entire term holistically and give your employer the heads ups about when you might need to adjust your hours so you can plan around it together.
Information sharing is another key component of communicating and planning with your kids. Set some time aside each day to specifically talk about the information you need from them. Ask them to give you their school notices each day after dinner (for example) so you can get on top of it and action anything there and then. Don’t wait until the end of the week, deal with it now so you’re not facing last minute requests or risking notices being lost!
If you’re not opposed to tech, check out the Life Sorted app to help keep your family organised. The app provides a ‘go-to’ place for the whole family, helping reduce the brain clutter and overwhelm that comes with modern life. You can set reminders, to-dos, shopping lists, birthdays and more, it’s easy to use and you can try it for free.
Most importantly, remember to spend time talking and listening to your kids specifically about how their day was. Supporting them and showing compassion towards any issues they may be experiencing while settling back into school will show you’ve got their backs and help boost their confidence.
Avoid the temptation to over commit
Dear working parents, please don’t let feelings of guilt bully you into taking on more than you can handle. You are enough!
While the urge to sign up to committee’s, coaching, baking, fete duties is tempting, don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ if you just don’t have time. You’re not doing yourself or you kids any favours by spreading yourself thin and taking on extra commitments. If you really want to get involved, try to limit your responsibilities to once per year or consider an alternative like donating instead.
Help is all around
Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It takes a lot more courage to ask for help rather than stewing in your current predicament.
If you’re a working parent, think about who you can lean on to help juggle the school/work week load. Remember Coastal Babysitters have got your babysitting needs covered from Brisbane through to the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. Our online booking system is super simple for those busy times when you need someone to watch your kids, even if it’s just for a few hours.
Last but not least don’t forget self-care! Because a household run by happy parents means happy kids (well, most of the time!). Make sure you set time aside for yourself at least once per month whether it be a spa or massage treatment, date night or a weekend away. Our experienced babysitters are available for overnight stays if you ever need time out to rest and reset, just give us a call or book online.
