- Plan the day, and let your children know in advance of what is going to happen. I am going to wake you at 7.30, we will have breakfast until 8.00 and then get ready and leave the house at 8.30, just so the children know what is happening, it helps them in their mind to have a plan.
- Prepare: make sure you have everything prepared for the next day; school uniform hanging in bedroom, lunch prepared and let the children become involved with this. i.e. leave your shoes under the bed, I am putting a cheese sandwich in your lunch box plus a banana tomorrow along with your bottle of water etc. include them in this.
- Create a family calendar – whether a Google Calendar or a colourful Wall Calendar – that highlights family activities and everyone’s major commitments. This helps make planning easier, while pinpointing conflicts.
- Use an egg timer to help kids focus for specific periods of time. Make it a game.
- Enjoy the end of summer and plan an fun activity that you are going to do two weekends in September, so the children will not feel like it’s going to be all school.
Keep yourself positive and upbeat and this will pass on to your children.