I’m not afraid to admit that the prospect of summer holidays usually fills me with dread. I mean how on god’s earth am I going to keep two kids occupied for six whole weeks? Then when it finally comes around, it’s never nearly quite as bad as I anticipated. The days go faster than I can count, we make amazing memories, and you know what? I realise how much I like being with my kids. 

The thing is that it’s very easy to fall into summer care-free mode. After all, the normal routine’s out the window and after a while, the days seamlessly merge into one another. Forget the constant treadmill of making packed lunches, school drop-offs, the latest school newsletter, completing some form every other day or having to fix up an obscure fancy-dress outfit with a day’s notice. All normal rules fly out the window. They want their iPad again. No problem. Another snack. Go help yourself.

It’s no surprise that many of us get caught out! All of a sudden, school is just around the corner. Then panic ensues when you realise that nothing is organised. No uniform. No school shoes. No new PE kit. EEK!! Supreme parent-fail. Tick. Let’s face it. No-one wants to be that parent, do they? The one whose grim-faced kid hobbles into school on the first day back with feet wedged into shoes that didn’t even fit at the end of last term, let alone now! 

Mentally Preparing for Back to School

Mentally preparing yourself for getting the kids back to school can take a while. I find that a two-pronged approach works best in our house. Being organised is crucial but it doesn’t always come naturally. To keep ahead, there really is nothing like a checklist that you can tick off in steps, to reduce the last minute aaargh factor.

Ideally, have this Back-to-School Checklist for uniform, school bag and other bits somewhere obvious. Try to mark off a few items a week so that it doesn’t impinge too much on holiday time and spreading it out also means that it won’t cause a huge stress at the end. 

And rather than seeing it as a chore, why not make a day of school uniform shopping? If you can, take the kids out one at a time and use it as some quality one-on-one time. Allow them to help choose their uniform. Break it up with a cake stop and lunch. Or the cinema afterwards. Make it fun. 

But if like many, you really can’t stomach the thought of shopping with kids in tow, do as much on-line, just don’t leave it to the last minute. If you want to be really savvy, make a diary note for late July when the school uniform sales begin to happen at the end of the school year.

And seriously don’t ever turn up on the off chance to get new school shoes during the last week of the summer holidays. It’s like Lord of the Flies meets Clarkes. Every man for himself. Of course, the shoes you want will be out of stock too. Instead, book your shoe fitting appointment in advance on the shop’s website. That way you can breeze in for your appointment, feeling ridiculously smug whilst you watch a medley of cross parents joining the ever-expanding queue.  And all because you’re so blimmin’ organised. 

 

Aromatherapy for Back-to-School Season 

Remember my two-pronged approach. Apart from getting organised, it’s really important to get yourself and the kids into the right mindset for going back to school. That means, reintroducing an earlier bedtime and other normal routines around two weeks before D-Day.

Aromatherapy can also help you adapt to the new academic year. When inhaled, molecules within essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and impact the Limbic System, the brain’s emotional centre which also plays a role in controlling several unconscious physiological functions. Indicators like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are all impacted by the arrival of an essential oil. 

Try our FOCUS Balm whenever you need clarity of mind to accomplish goals and tasks. It’s the perfect aid to completing that back-to-school checklist and for getting kids up and out for the morning school run and primed for learning. Blended with Rosemary, which increases alertness and boosts memory, Mint, to increase focus on cognitive tasks, and Clary Sage, an exceptional mental fatigue and brain fog reliever, use it on yourself or the children for a focused state of mind.

Don’t worry if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the things that you need to organise for going back to school, apply our DE STRESS Balm regularly to calm feelings of anxiety, help you juggle throughout the day and feel more in control. It’s also a great one to use for any children who might be feeling worried or anxious about returning to school. With a Back-to-School Checklist and a Scentered Aromatherapy Balm in hand, you’ve got this!

 

 

 

 

You can also download our Back To School Checklist here!

 

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