Some Practical Tips From Other Parents:

• Label every article of clothing. Check semi-regularly that they are still labelled. Some of the iron-on ones can come off after repeated washes and pens fade. Change out of uniform when they get home from school – this will save on washing.
• Choose a lunch box and drink bottle that your child can open and close themselves. Try to pick a drink bottle that has an extra cap over the lid to save spilling.
• Put manageable amounts of lunch into the lunch box (e.g. sandwich and a piece of fruit or two; one for little break).
• Make up the lunch box the night before and put it into the fridge. It can be very busy in the morning trying to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door.
• Check their school folder every night for notes. Ask them if they got anything from teacher to give you.
• Cover books with clear film, so they can still identify the book by the front cover.
• Label the book with their name on the front cover, so that the teacher doesn’t have to open all of the books to hand them out.
• Have the contact number of the person who is assigned to collect your child, if you are not able to, in your phone. If you get delayed you can give them a call to pick up the child for you.
• It is a good idea to swop phone numbers with some of the parents. This can be a way of sending invites to parties without upsetting those children who may not be invited. It is school policy not to have invitations handed out in school, so as not to exclude any child.
• Establish a routine with the children when they come home from school. Change uniform, have a break, do the homework with no television for example.