For us, school is going back next week and we’re a mixed bag of emotions.

My little one is a bit nervous. There’s going to be a new teacher, a new group of friends to navigate, and more pressure to grow up.

As parents, we’ve been trying to sympathize and ease her into the idea of going back to more of a structured day.

Right now, especially this week and into her return to school life, our priority is building connection and making sure she feels like she’s had plenty of (if not too much) of Mummy and Daddy time.

It’s much easier for me to give her the iPad and get on with sorting the house, but distraction isn’t what she needs. It might also be bad for me too. How am I going to feel when my accomplice for the past 90 days is suddenly occupied? Amazing. But also lonely and different.

Our Back To School action plan is:

Back to this week.

1. Get back on a bedtime and wake up schedule.
2. Breakfast, brush teeth, and get dressed every day in the run up to the first day.
3. Start adding structure and activities to the day that keep little one busy and re-learn how to transition between tasks.
4. Returning to packed lunches.
5. Get school supplies but not all new. Using some recognizable items from last year can take the edge off the feeling like everything is new.

I want to minimize the culture shock by easing into the school day. We’ve been reading every day but adding some more learning games and educational elements to bring back her ability to sit and listen.