There’s something rather positive feeling about September. It’s always sad to bid the summer holidays farewell, but for many it’s a welcome return to routines and order. Here are some ideas for getting your school-age charges off on the right foot this month.
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The Most Important Meal: Get them off to the right start with a wholesome breakfast that’s not too (or ideally, at all) sugary. Nutritionist Amanda Ursell says that, “if children go to school slightly hungry or thirsty they won’t perform as well intellectually, emotionally or physically.” Peanut butter on wholemeal toast is a quick and healthy option, with a glass of milk. Eggy bread fingers are yummy if you have time to cook, or you could make overnight oats for something warming as autumn sets in.
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Screen Time Habits: Chat to your employers about this and see what their thoughts are, but if your charges’ screen time has gone up over the school holidays – especially if you’ve travelled a lot as a family – parents may be keen to wean their little ones off their tablets, TVs and phones once term starts again. A bedroom screen ban is sometimes a good place to start, as well as keeping eyes away from screens one hour before bedtime (the light emitted from screens plays havoc with sleep patterns as we all know).
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Developing Resilience: A new term is a new opportunity for personal development at home as well as at school. Encouraging independent play at home, tidying up after themselves and getting dressed, brushing their teeth and so forth (dependant on their age) are skills that will translate in the classroom and beyong, bringing confidence, problem-solving abilities, and all-round resilience.
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Homework Timetable: A new school year usually means more homework than last year, so you might want to draw up a homework timetable with your charges for after-school time, so that extra-curricular activities, play dates, relaxing and school work are all manageable and balanced. If your charges have a designated space for homework or study, you could revisit the space this week and check that it still serves its purpose. Is it comfortable? Are there too many distractions? Do they have everything they need to get their work done to their best ability? From good lighting to stationery orders, you can help support them to work independently.
- Reading Time: The benefits of reading widely at home are countless, so why not introduce some new books to your charges’ nightstands by planning a library visit after school one day? Some children will benefit from having reading time scheduled into their after-school timetable; others are natural readers who will reach for books of their own accord. Depending on their age, you could start a new series of books for their bedtime story. Your local library will be able to recommend great reads by age group, or check out The Telegraph’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time, arranged into categories for different ages and abilities:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/childrens-books/100-best-childrens-books-of-all-time/
What are your resolutions for September? Come over to our Facebook page and let us know!