IS YOUR CHILD STARTING SCHOOL & YOU’RE TOTALLY OVERWHELMED?
Written By: Noelle Sadinsky
Your first child is starting school and you don’t know where to start? There’s so much to do and it can be confusing. This is where we can help and share our expertise.
Firstly breathe. Always breathe and know that everything is figureoutable! Check out this is a brilliant book by Marie Forleo, I recommend you read it, it may just help:
Everything is Figureoutable:
One Simple Belief to Create Unstoppable Success.
Now Back to starting school, it can be a stressful and emotional time but it’s also the start of a new phase for you and your child as you embark on an exciting journey. Strap on your seatbelt and get ready for the ride!
We’ve been there. Twice actually. With one son in high school and another almost finished primary school, we know about the first day of school and it’s best to keep things simple. Your child’s school probably had an Orientation Day and they got to dress up in their new uniform and check out big school. Schools are getting so much better at preparing kids and parents so take some time to go through all the information you were given and get a list going of ‘must have’ items. You can also have another list of ’nice to have but not compulsory’ items that I’d suggest you wait to buy in case they really aren’t needed.
Ensure you have the school uniform organised (if there is one) and I suggest you get at least 2 of each item for the first term, ie 2 x sport shirts, 2 x sport shorts, 2 x regular uniform shirts, 2 x regular uniform shorts, 1 x hat, 1 x bag, etc. Start with the summer uniform and then as you get used to how things work, you can add to their seasonal gear. Spend time in the uniform shop to ensure you only get the necessary items and ask lots of questions. A library bag might be nice, but your child might already have a perfectly good bag at home you can use. Try not to go crazy getting multiples of everything as you may find you don’t need them all. You might also ask if your uniform shop takes old gear and sells recycled gear at a discount – keep the ‘used and reuse’ cycle going if possible. I’m sure to always pass on items once they get too small to another family as well as they are always appreciated!
School shoes are so important and be sure to go for quality over price. Your child will be doing so much in these shoes – lunch time running, skipping and playing – so make sure they fit. Get fitted at your local kids’ shoe shop and ensure there’s plenty of space for their feet to grow into – you want these babies to last as long as possible! Get your child involved in picking the shoes they want (with some guidance of course) as it’s all part of the process and helping to teach them to be responsible for themselves and their things.
School lunches can also be daunting, but they don’t need to be. Australia is hot and often school lunch bags are left outside in the sun but not to fear. Be sure to get your child a Fridge-to-go Lunch Bag that they’ll use for years and works just like a fridge. You can be confident in packing your child’s favourite meals, knowing they’ll stay fresh and most likely get eaten. Even easier, now there’s a Fridge-to-go School Lunch Starter Pack for $79 that includes all the accessories you’ll need to hit the ground running.
The Fridge-to-go pack includes a lunch bag, reusable snack pouches, a stainless steel bento box, a bamboo spork, the bag and a spare panel. You don’t need anything else. The thin panels that are placed inside the bag should be kept in the freezer when not being used so they always ready to go. In the morning the panel gets put in the zipped pocket, fill it with your kids favourite lunch items and they’re ready to go. After school, it’s great to get them to unpack their lunch bag and replace the panel in the freezer. Start with jobs in the family now and keep them going – you’ll be grateful later and will raise beautiful and kind humans.
In our family, we make our primary child’s lunch for him although he needs to unpack his school bag, including his lunch bag, when he returns home. Once our kids start high school, it’s up to them to make their own lunch and learn that buying it at the canteen every day with their own money is expensive. They learn pretty fast and even get up earlier to ensure they are organised which teaches them amazing responsibility. It can be hard to let go, at the right age of course, but taking baby steps for you and your kids will only make them more resilient and successful in their school life.
Once your child starts school you’ll get to know other parents and you can all share information to see what they’re doing and see if you need to tweak your routine at all. There’s always room for improvement and listen to your child as they’ll let you know what their friends are doing and what’s important to them. A bit of planning ahead of time goes a long way to managing stress and overwhelm. School is a long journey and it should be fun and exciting for your family so enjoy the process.
Check out the Fridge-to-go starter pack by visiting:
www.fridgetogo.com.au/collections/back-to-school/products/school-lunch-starter-pack.