SmileTutor Blog Parents Parenting Tips How to Get a Good Start to the New School Year

How to Get a Good Start to the New School Year

[Pexels, Yi Lu]

If your child is going to school for the first time, congratulations! It’s the start of a new journey. And if your child is just returning to school, I hope you had a good holiday with them.

But now that the relaxation period is over, it’s time to get back into the thick of things. 

Below are some tips on how to help your child get a good start to the new school year! Good luck!

1. Establish a Healthy Bedtime Routine

[Pexels, Ron Lach]

The holidays have a knack for keeping people up late. There’s no harm in it as long as your child is still sleeping enough and not engaging in unhealthy habits. 

All that has to change, however, when school is starting. Sleep is important for concentration, memory, and can also help your child’s mood. 

Your child should get at least 9-12 hours of sleep if they are 6-12 years old, 8-10 hours if they are 13-17 years old, and at least 7 hours of sleep if they are 18 years and above. 

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Start this bedtime routine at least a week before school starts. This is not only to get your child used to the new routine mentally, but physically as well. Their body’s internal clock needs to be reset so that they can wake up early for school feeling refreshed!

2. Go Through Your Child’s Timetable and Syllabus with Them

[Pexels, Karolina Gabrowska]

It’s always good to know what’s coming ahead so you can prepare for it, and the same goes for school. 

Knowing what is happening that day allows your child to mentally prepare for it and prepare their materials for that lesson. 

Make sure they know their syllabus or have seen it at least once to ensure that they will be able to revise effectively later on in the year. Your child should at least know what’s going on and what will be happening in class! 

3. Make Sure Your Child’s Bag is Packed

[Pexels, Pavel Danilyuk]

Depending on your child’s age, you may have to pack their bag for them, but ideally you want to pack their bag with them or simply supervise them to facilitate independence

After they have checked their timetable, make sure that they have packed the appropriate materials for the subjects on that day. 

If there are too many textbooks, it should be okay to bring half of them to school for the first day. 

Some essentials are: 

  • Ezlink card
  • Umbrella
  • Water bottle
  • Pencil case (including an eraser, because erasers always disappear during the holidays)
  • Calculator (for older children)

4. Prepare Uniform at Night

[Pexels, EVG Kowalievska]

Having your child’s uniform laid out the night before helps them mentally prepare for school the next day. 

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It also helps save time when your child doesn’t have to dig around in their cupboard to find their uniform. 

This can be particularly important in some schools with pinafores as their uniforms, there may even be a need to remember whether it’s a PE shirt or blouse day. 

Conclusion

[Pexels, Pixabay]

The first few days back at school may be rough for your child (and for you as well, having to adjust to the new schedule) but these are some of the things you can do to make it better! 

I hope they help, and I wish you a good year ahead!

 

If you liked reading this, why not also read:

Starting Primary School: 10 Ways to Prepare Your Child

Preparing your Child for Secondary School

Rum Tan

Rum Tan is the founder of SmileTutor and he believes that every child deserves a smile. Motivated by this belief and passion, he works hard day & night with his team to maintain the most trustworthy source of home tutors in Singapore. In his free time, he writes articles hoping to educate, enlighten, and empower parents, students, and tutors. You may try out his free home tutoring services via smiletutor.sg or by calling 6266 4475 directly today.