Children perform best within a structured environment, and avoiding chaos and panic on school days is essential to your sanity and to their well-being. Use a schedule to lay out their routine and consider these points as you go:

1. Homework: Make sure the children have quiet and well-lit places to do their homework and keep their school books. Schedule homework time when it best suits your child. Some children do best with a snack and half an hour outdoors before doing their homework. Check your children¹s homework daily.
   
   
2. Designate chore times for both the children¹s daily and weekly chores. Assign age-appropriate chores and increase your child¹s responsabilites as they grow.
   
   
3. Think about the things that cause upset in the household for the kids and find a solution to avoid these upsets. If your daughter gets frantic in the morning because her jeans are not clean, perhaps it¹s time for her to learn to do her own laundry.
   
   
4. Children should do some physical activity and have some outdoor time every day.
   
   
5. Lay out your routine with your family to make sure everyone¹s needs are considered, and that everyone is contributing to the family and to household duties.

A Great Adventure! Encourage your children to view school as a great adventure and loads of fun. Children take their cues from their parents and if we worry, are apathetic or show seperation anxiety, they will have a harder time settling in, especially at first.

An Ounce of Prevention! Walk the safest school route with your small children to either the bus or the school before class begins. Give them specific instructions as to where to walk and cross, how to handle strangers and what to do or not to do. Prepare and practice emergency routines with your children, in case they leave school early or you are delayed.,