The back-to-school struggle is real
As the UK summer holidays come to a close, you may feel you have been in survival mode for the last six weeks.
Balancing trying to entertain little ones and keeping yourself sane for weeks on end, means self-care often takes a backseat.
But now there’s a new contender: the back-to-school madness is underway.
As the new school year approaches there will be uniforms to buy and labelling to be done, the class WhatsApp will ping in your ears at every waking hour and the bitchy school gate mums will be out in full force.
We hear you, the struggle is real. And while we can’t make the process any more fun, we can give our realistic view on how to handle the back-to-school scaries.
We’ve got you.
That parents Whatsapp group will have you up at all hours
The school WhatsApp group
It dings in the morning, it dings in the evening. Little Arthurs lost another cardi and what time does the school trip end?
‘Just turn off notifications!’ some may cry. But you can’t though, can you?
Because Claire wants to know if you are volunteering at the bake sale and if you don’t chime in you’ll commit the ultimate cardinal school sin.
How to handle it:
Chuck in the occasional heart emoji for parent points, keep your phone on silent for the next seven years and buy earplugs if the noise takes over your life.
Warning. There may be school cliques
Bitchy School Gate Mums
Making the 8:50 a.m. school start is no mean feat. By the time you’ve reached the gates you feel like you’ve done a marathon and then you get THE LOOK.
The look from other mums, mainly in groups, often makes you wonder if you’ve remembered to brush your hair but the truth is you probably look fine.
This is often followed by a quick quip of ‘late again?’ as you puff through the gates.
Then there’s the times you forget things, such as the latest extravagant project meaning your school street cred has just gone completely down the drain.
How to handle it:
Flaunt the just got out of bed look and make friends with the quirkys rather than the bitchys.
Have a bit of fun and force the critique crew to say hello by inviting them round for wine then watch them flounder with a response. Flip reversing never looked so good.
If it isn’t homework, it’s washing. And lots of it.
When the school uniform isn’t dry
With the nights getting longer and the days colder, it can only mean one thing for washing; inside drying.
While it’s all good and well being organised and having the wash on straight after Friday pick up, life understandably often takes over.
When it’s not dry by Monday morning the radiator becomes your new best friend (sometimes the hair dryer too).
How to handle it:
Turn the oven on for 10 minutes, then turn it off (the OFF is very important- do not forget!)
Then fold the washing and stick it in for 15 minutes. Make sure it’s on a baking tray and not touching the walls or top. It dries triple the time of the radiator. Result.
Don’t forget the really hard to get hold of costumes
Remembering all that STUFF
As soon as term starts you are bombarded with lists of reading day, homework day, PE day, and a million other days that are suddenly part of the curriculum.
You have to bring a red hat in one week, an insect costume in another, and there’s a fundraiser every other week.
How to handle it:
Hide under your bed. Then buy a label maker off Amazon. Oh, and if anyone pulls you up on forgotten things just blame it on Dad, saying ‘Wait till I see him later!’
After all, it’s equally his job too.
Homework struggles? Try this one trick
Getting them to do their homework
If you look online, you’ll see multiple ways to gently coax your child to enjoy homework and the process.
The advice includes buying sensible planners, keeping noise low and setting up a no-distractions area at home.
But half the time even that doesn’t work and you want to bang your head against the wall after two minutes of pleading with them to do phonics.
How to handle it: Unleash them with the ultimate weapon, bribery with chocolate and no screen time. Will they do it? Who knows, only time, and a few chocolate wrappers will tell.
Sunday evening bedtimes are not always the easiest
The Sunday scaries
Getting them into bed after a weekend of fun is equivalent to abseiling doing Table Mountain energy level-wise.
They will put up resistance, particularly when they know the new school year is looming and the endless requests for nighttime snacks and drinks will be out with a vengeance.
They say if you can’t beat ’em, join them but we think getting a good night’s rest before the first day of school is essential for them, and you.
How to handle it:
Download the Santa app pronto.
Use it at your leisure as you get ‘Santa’ to call you to check up on your child. It has a number of options including ‘bad behaviour’, ‘getting dressed’, and ‘not getting ready for school,’ which are all available at the press of a button.
Simply sit back and watch them settle as you use it all year round.
The back-to-school struggle is real
As the summer holidays come to a close, you may feel you have been in survival mode for the last six weeks.
Balancing trying to entertain little ones and keeping yourself sane for weeks on end, means self-care often takes a backseat.
But now there’s a new contender: the back-to-school madness is underway.
As the new school year approaches there will be uniforms to buy and labelling to be done, the class WhatsApp will ping in your ears at every waking hour and the bitchy school gate mums will be out in full force.
We hear you, the struggle is real. And while we can’t make the process any more fun, we can give our realistic view on how to handle the back-to-school scaries.
We’ve got you.
That parents Whatsapp group will have you up at all hours (Photo: Getty)
The school WhatsApp group
It dings in the morning, it dings in the evening. Little Arthurs lost another cardi and what time does the school trip end?
‘Just turn off notifications!’ some may cry. But you can’t though, can you?
Because Claire wants to know if you are volunteering at the bake sale and if you don’t chime in you’ll commit the ultimate cardinal school sin.
How to handle it:
Chuck in the occasional heart emoji for parent points, keep your phone on silent for the next seven years and buy earplugs if the noise takes over your life.
Warning. There may be school cliques
Bitchy School Gate Mums
Making the 8:50 a.m. school start is no mean feat. By the time you’ve reached the gates you feel like you’ve done a marathon and then you get THE LOOK.
The look from other mums, mainly in groups, often makes you wonder if you’ve remembered to brush your hair but the truth is you probably look fine.
This is often followed by a quick quip of ‘late again?’ as you puff through the gates.
Then there’s the times you forget things, such as the latest extravagant project meaning your school street cred has just gone completely down the drain.
How to handle it:
Flaunt the just got out of bed look and make friends with the quirkys rather than the bitchys.
Have a bit of fun and force the critique crew to say hello by inviting them round for wine then watch them flounder with a response. Flip reversing never looked so good.
If it isn’t homework, it’s washing. And lots of it.
When the school uniform isn’t dry
With the nights getting longer and the days colder, it can only mean one thing for washing; inside drying.
While it’s all good and well being organised and having the wash on straight after Friday pick up, life understandably often takes over.
When it’s not dry by Monday morning the radiator becomes your new best friend (sometimes the hair dryer too).
How to handle it:
Turn the oven on for 10 minutes, then turn it off (the OFF is very important- do not forget!)
Then fold the washing and stick it in for 15 minutes. Make sure it’s on a baking tray and not touching the walls or top. It dries triple the time of the radiator. Result.
Don’t forget the really hard to get hold of costumes (Photo: Getty)
Remembering all that STUFF
As soon as term starts you are bombarded with lists of reading day, homework day, PE day, and a million other days that are suddenly part of the curriculum.
You have to bring a red hat in one week, an insect costume in another, and there’s a fundraiser every other week.
How to handle it:
Hide under your bed. Then buy a label maker off Amazon. Oh, and if anyone pulls you up on forgotten things just blame it on Dad, saying ‘Wait till I see him later!’
After all, it’s equally his job too.
Homework struggles? Try this one trick (Photo: Getty)
Getting them to do their homework
If you look online, you’ll see multiple ways to gently coax your child to enjoy homework and the process.
The advice includes buying sensible planners, keeping noise low and setting up a no-distractions area at home.
But half the time even that doesn’t work and you want to bang your head against the wall after two minutes of pleading with them to do phonics.
How to handle it: Unleash them with the ultimate weapon, bribery with chocolate and no screen time. Will they do it? Who knows, only time, and a few chocolate wrappers will tell.
Sunday evening bedtimes are not always the easiest (Photo: Getty)
The Sunday scaries
Getting them into bed after a weekend of fun is equivalent to abseiling doing Table Mountain energy level-wise.
They will put up resistance, particularly when they know the new school year is looming and the endless requests for nighttime snacks and drinks will be out with a vengeance.
They say if you can’t beat ’em, join them but we think getting a good night’s rest before the first day of school is essential for them, and you.
How to handle it:
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Download the Santa app pronto.
Use it at your leisure as you get ‘Santa’ to call you to check up on your child. It has a number of options including ‘bad behaviour’, ‘getting dressed’, and ‘not getting ready for school,’ which are all available at the press of a button.
Simply sit back and watch them settle as you use it all year round.
