Back to school time can be a lot for the whole family, as everyone adjusts back into the day-to-day routine. Bedtimes tend to slip during the holidays, so the mix of overtired, anxious kids and an earlier schedule can put real pressure on any household. Whether your child is starting school for the very first time or just heading back for a new school year, here are 12 useful tips for surviving the first week of school.
#1. Be Strict About Bedtimes
Bedtime routines tend to slide during the long summer break, so start moving your kids’ bedtimes back towards their normal time at least a week before school starts.
The first week back is tiring for everyone as the family adjusts to earlier mornings and the kids get used to a full day in the classroom again. Everyone will cope better if they’re well rested before day one — and that includes you, too.
Recommended Reading: 5 Sleep Routine Tips for Back to School
#2. Get Up Earlier
This might sound like it contradicts tip #1, but it will take everyone a little longer to settle into the morning rhythm again, so make life easier on yourself by setting your alarm a bit earlier than you think you need to. Try not to hit snooze — getting up ahead of the kids gives you a head start before the morning rush begins.
Get the kids up earlier too. Their morning routine will take longer than usual for the first week or so, and that extra time gives you room to deal with any last-minute dramas — a missing shoe, toothpaste on the school jumper — and still get out the door on time.
#3. Eat a Quick, but Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, so start things off right with something nutritious for you and the kids before school and work. Skipping breakfast can leave children restless, tired and irritable, and it affects their concentration too.
What they eat matters as well — breakfasts built around whole grains, fibre and protein, with less added sugar, help support attention, concentration and memory through the school day.
During the first week back, everything takes a bit longer in the mornings, so prepping the night before really pays off — setting the table, getting breakfast ready, packing lunchboxes.
You could batch-make pancakes and freeze them ready for the toaster, or try healthy breakfast muffins, homemade granola, or overnight no-cook oat pots. Smoothies are always a hit too.
Recommended Reading: 10 Quick & Healthy Breakfast Ideas That Aren’t Porridge
#4. Make Lunch Convenient
Break times can be a bit chaotic in the first week, as kids adjust to new classrooms and teachers, and catch up with old friends or make new ones. Stick to lunchbox fillers you know they’ll actually eat — they can still be healthy, just familiar and convenient.
Making lunches the night before and storing them in the fridge can take a lot of the pressure off busy mornings.
If your child is a little anxious about going back — or starting school for the first time — a small touch in their lunchbox can go a long way. Bake a favourite muffin, cut sandwiches into fun shapes, or slip in a little note to let them know you’re thinking of them.
Recommended Reading: 100 Healthy Lunchbox Ideas & Easy Lunchbox Hacks
#5. Expect the Exhaustion
Don’t be surprised if your kids come home wiped out. Sitting still and concentrating for hours in a classroom is a big change after the relaxed pace of the holidays, and they’re likely to be both mentally and physically tired.
Try not to overplan the first week back — let them come home, decompress and recharge.
#6. Go Easy on After-School Activities
Following on from that, it’s worth holding off on starting any new after-school activities in the first week of term. Kids are tired enough as it is, and they need time to get home, do any homework and relax.
There’s plenty of time for clubs and activities in week two, once everyone is back in the swing of the school routine.
#7. Be Ready to Feed Them When They Get Home
Between the excitement (or nerves) of being back at school, plenty of kids get so caught up catching up with friends that they barely touch their lunch or snacks. So they’ll likely arrive home starving.
Have healthy snacks ready and waiting, or consider moving dinner earlier for the first week back.
Recommended Reading: 12 Quick Ideas for After-School Snacks & Healthy Snacks Teens Can Make Themselves
#8. Opt for Easy Dinners
The first week back is busy enough without spending hours at the stove each evening. Get ahead where you can — batch-cook meals in advance and freeze them for the week.
Or lean on quick, easy family dinners you can put together with minimal fuss:
- 8 Quick & Easy Family Dinners for Busy Parents
- 10 Go-To Family Dinners Every Parent Should Know
- 9 Super Quick Dinner Recipes for Back to School
- 31 More Quick & Easy Family Dinners for Back to School
- 50 Ideas for Easy Family Dinners
#9. Have a Morning Routine
A clear routine makes school mornings so much easier, especially in these first few weeks of term. A simple morning checklist can help — kids often find it easier to follow a routine when they can see exactly what needs to be done, step by step.
Printable morning routine charts or flashcards, which you can find from various family bloggers and printable sites online, can also help younger children remember their own steps each morning.
Recommended Reading: 10 Simple Tips to Make School Mornings Easier
#10. Resist Technology
It’s best to avoid screens on school mornings. If the kids got into the habit of TV before breakfast over the holidays, start winding that back the week before school returns.
That goes for parents too — a bit of radio in the background is fine, but resist the urge to switch on the TV, laptop, or check emails and social media. It’s simply too distracting when everyone needs to be out the door.
#11. Be Organised at Home
Being organised at home makes a huge difference to how smoothly mornings run. Give every school item — shoes, bag, tie, PE gear — a dedicated spot, and it’s much easier to avoid last-minute searches.
Set up a space for school bags, lunchboxes, gym kit and uniforms, and get the kids used to using it properly. Check bags each day for notes home from school, and pack bags and lay out clothes the night before to keep mornings moving.
Recommended Reading: School Morning Hacks to Make Life Easier
#12. And Breathe!
Relax — you’ve made it through the long summer holidays and got everyone back to school in one piece.
If you can, take a bit of time for yourself this week. Read a book, meet a friend for coffee, or get back to your usual exercise class.
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Over to you — have you any tips that help your family survive the chaos of the first week back to school? Let us know in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to prepare for the first week back to school?
Start easing bedtimes and morning wake-up times back a week or so beforehand, so the shift isn’t so sudden. Getting lunches, uniforms and bags organised the night before also takes a lot of pressure off the mornings themselves.
How can I make school mornings less stressful?
A simple routine helps enormously — a dedicated spot for bags and uniforms, breakfast prepped as much as possible the night before, and getting up a little earlier than you think you need to. Small habits like these add up quickly.
Is it normal for kids to be extra tired during the first week of school?
Yes — after the relaxed pace of the holidays, a full day of concentrating in the classroom is genuinely tiring. Expect exhaustion, keep evenings low-key, and hold off on starting new after-school activities until everyone has settled back in.
What should I do if my child seems anxious about starting the school year?
Small, thoughtful touches can help — a favourite lunch, a note in their lunchbox, or just extra patience and reassurance in the mornings. Keeping routines predictable also gives anxious children something steady to hold onto during a big change.
You Might Also Like
- 5 Sleep Routine Tips for Back to School
- 10 Simple Tips to Make School Mornings Easier
- 100 Healthy Lunchbox Ideas Your Kids Will Love
- 12 Quick Ideas for After-School Snacks
Save This for Later
Back to school season moves fast, so it’s worth bookmarking this one or saving it to your favourite Pinterest board for the next time term starts up again.
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