Term 3 begins next week on 28th June. Some children are excited about going back while others are still in “vacation mode”. As parents,  we will need to help and prepare our children in advance for a smooth transition back to school.

Presumably, you would already have looked at these areas earlier in the week but if you have not, there is still the weekend to check on them:

1. Re-establish a school-friendly sleep routine

A good night’s sleep is one of the essentials to performing our best each day. Sleep allows us to recharge and rejuvenate tired bodies and minds. Encourage a fixed bedtime schedule. Establish a regular bedtime routine for your younger children. Check ambient lighting is appropriate. Minimise background noise distractions by lowering the volume of the family tv outside, people talking, etc.

For your older child, limit or minimise their device usage. Studies show that the more frequently they used technology in the evening, the later they are likely to go to bed. Instead of engaging in interactive activities like video gaming and using smartphones, encourage passive activities as alternatives. They may resist but suggest reading or listening to music before bedtime instead.

Start the new term on the right footing by avoiding sleep deficit from Day 1. Make sure they go to bed early the night before!

2. Check their uniforms and shoes fit

Our children grow up quickly. It probably also did not help that outdoor activities are a little more restricted this year. Rather than discovering attire not fitting the night before or early Monday morning, check them now. Avoid the inevitable panic as you will still have the weekend ahead to visit the store for new ones.

3. Ensure essential school supplies are ready

School supplies and other essentials seem to have a mind of their own. They have a tendency of ending up in “previously unexplored” corners and nooks of their rooms. This evening, avoid the rush by spending some time to check on the whereabouts and the condition of your child’s school bag, textbooks, and other essential school supplies eg pencil cases, writing implements and stationery.

Alternatively, ask them to do it themselves as that helps them build a sense of ownership and responsibility. But do get back to your children and talk to them to find out if they require any help or if they need to visit the shops to purchase missing school items.

Where necessary, you have the weekend to visit your neighbourhood stationery store to stock up on missing items. It also gives your adolescent or teenager the opportunity to mull over their Muji pencil cases and the ever-important selection of coloured gel pens for breathtakingly stunning notes and other writing.

Don’t forget to make sure their Trace-Together tokens and thermometers are working before they head back to school. Perhaps, your fashion-aware adolescent or teenager may even feel the need for a more “acceptable-looking” face mask. If so, rather than disagreeing and creating a potentially stressful and unhappy situation, use the opportunity for some valuable parent-child bonding as the two of you discuss and debate the merits of the different options they identify in the stores that you visit together.

4. Check holiday assignments are completed

Your children may have had a blast exploring new experiences with your SingapoRediscovers vouchers during the school holidays. Hopefully, they will not have procrastinated or forgotten about completing any homework or holiday assignments that their school teacher may have handed out in May.

Time may be a limited resource this weekend if you are vising the stationery store, shoe store and/or uniform shop but do make sure some of that time is spent starting on some of these “forgotten” assignments. Keep in mind, they are unlikely to complete all of their work assignments before having to hand them back to their teachers. Use the opportunity to remind (not nag or scold) them of avoiding procrastination and the merits of planning study schedules for the school days ahead.

Our Daily Revision Program is a unique program with a proven track record. It promotes consistency in revision and developing good study habits in your child.  Through this program, your child learns to be an independent learner and develops habits that empower them to be individuals who are able to spend their time productively with minimal adult supervision.

Read more about the Daily Revision Program. Contact us today and make an appointment to meet with us to find out more about how we can help you empower your child.