I do not know about you but these school holidays seem to have flown
by this year and I really cannot believe we are almost ready for back to school…I
am so not ready for that!
If like me you need a little inspiration and help to get organised
I have put together a few ideas and must haves to help ease us back in gently and help save a few pounds along the way
Uniforms and accessories are the most obvious, I try to mix and match where I shop to help save a few pounds, school logo branded uniform can be really expensive so try to match up with trousers and shirts from the back to school range at the local supermarket, and as they get older and growth slows reuse last years. As my two near the teenage years I am finding branding so much more important to them, I just cannot get away with supermarket brand shoes anymore so one thing we do pay out for is shoes, I have learnt that this is an area not worth compromising with cost on, buying cheep has always resulted in buying replacements every half term so works out more expensive in the long run. Schoolbags again are put the mill, kicked, thrown around and basically used as a lunch box most of the time! Although my girl is becoming quite the fashionista we are more about the look these days. One such brand that caught our eye and is a huge hit for many teen girls I am sure is Vendula London, who make luxury vegan backpacks and accessories which is an important selling point for many these days. The bags are fabulously quirky, beautifully made and very original, often with a vintage theme. Look our for our product review in the next few days
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Back to the teen years, technology and music play a big part in
almost all teens lives so inevitably they want the latest and best brands have
to offer when it comes to earphones, unfortunately we all know how easy they
seem to lose track of those little cases so this is one area I will not
compromise so insist on a more affordable brand like these from JLab which we found
to be really good quality and offer the perfect compromise.
If like me you are starting to se the effects of lockdown on your
child’s education you may be looking to help support them a little more from
home. These packs from Oakabooks are a great way to support leaning different topics in an engaging, creative and effective way using curriculum based revision guides to boost enthusiasm, understanding and memory recall. I am going to be using these with my two once we get a routine back in place so come back and look out for my full feature and review of these.
And not forgetting it’s not all about school, give them something fun that also tests their responses, these great toys like Flipslide really make them think but without even knowing they are developing skills! The utterly addictive, fast-moving electronic puzzle game of skill! Master the moves to beat the blocks, flip to find the colour and slide to match the lights. Challenge yourself or play with friends; putting it down is the hardest part! Compact and lightweight, Flipslide is also perfect for travel and days out, or for keeping kids entertained in any queue! available at a RRP £19.99 at Amazon, Argos or Smyths.
The biggest tip I think I can offer is quite boring I am afraid, The trick for me is organisation and routine, having a set daily routine helps both me and the kids get out the door relatively stress free, I try to ensure uniforms are ready and set out the night before, I have picked up packed lunch shopping and I try to plan my weekly meals around what we have on so an easy tea on days we have after school clubs and a family meal on days we have more time to cook and sit to chat about our days because communication and family time are as important as those study hours!
