As a child, one of the worst sentences my mum used to say to us kids was, "Its time to get back to school hours!" It was a sentence that marked the end of summer. A sentence that marked the end of later nights and even later mornings. A sentence that marked the start of getting back to 'normal'. And as a child I hated the idea of getting back into a routine. But as a parent? It makes so much sense. We humans crave routine. We sleep better, which means we perform better and ultimately that causes us to feel happier. So because we're all about to start a new term very soon, here are our top five tips for getting back to the school routine. Do share your own tips in the comments we'd love to hear from you.

Bring back the routine

If the kids (and you!) have been staying up a little later over the summer, now is the time to get them back to a more sensible bedtime. Seems my mum had a point all those years ago! If you get back to a more normal bedtime now, the night before the new term starts isn't going to feel like quite so difficult, and its a good idea to start the new school year feeling a little more refreshed over all. And don't forget you. School runs are bad enough, but when you're exhausted from late night and early mornings they're really not fun!

Get a calendar ready

At this time of year, back to school calendars start appearing in the shops, and actually they're not such a bad idea. If you have more than one child, it makes sense to keep track of what everyone is up to in one place, and have it somewhere where everyone can view it. You can use it also to keep track of routines, sleep times and doctor appointment for the younger members of the family too.

Give children responsibilities they can handle

Back to school means back to new tasks and that can start at home first. Start by drawing up a list of relevant chores and responsibilities around the house that the children can take on and let them help draw up a rota they can stick to. Having small chores at home can help older children learn how to be more prepared and resilient, which helps as they move through school. It also means that you can be more organised on busy school mornings with a little extra help!

Get mealtimes back on track

Is it just me, or do your children seem to eat constantly in the summer holidays? Imagine the shock they're going to get when they're back at school on a strict meal time schedule! To minimise that shock, start reeling in the snacks now. Get the kids to agree to limiting their snacks to more reasonable slots during the day and get ready with plenty of distractions instead! It might be worth allocating a snack box to each child, filling it with snacks and letting the kids help themselves when its time to eat.

Get the back to school essentials ready for the big day

There's nothing worse than scrambling around on the day the new school term starts, looking for books, bags and shoes. This is all sure to come later on (!) but now is the time to start as you mean to go on. Get everything ready, labelled, and organised now so that you can relax over the next few days. And hopefully when it comes to actually going back to school you've got everything you need ready to go.

What are your top back to school tips?