Top tips for your child’s first day – or first day back! – to school

Apprehensive about that first-day back? We've got you!

Whether you're an old hand at the first day back or your little one is about to start big school, the first day back to school is always a source of jitters. As you gear up, a number of questions may be running through your head. Will they cry at drop-off? Will I cry at drop-off? Do they have everything they need? What if I forget something?

It's totally normal to feel a combination of emotions ahead of the first day back, but if you want to cut down on the nerves, we've got some great tips to ready your family. Plus, we've teamed up with HelloFresh to bring you a healthy dollop of food-related ideas to help as well!

Ready to handle back to school like a pro? Here are some top tips to keep in mind.

Preparation is key

To make that first day back as stress-free as possible, preparation is key. Give yourself plenty of time – we're talking weeks here! – to source everything you need, from uniforms to school books to stationary. As the big day approaches, double check you have everything you need. That way, if you do notice you're missing something, you'll have plenty of time to nip out and grab it!

Set yourself up for success the night before

Lay out your child's uniform, pack their schoolbag and get everything together so that there's no last-minute scramble in the morning.

Eat well

Both you and your child will be able to tackle back-to-school nerves if you're well-nourished. Fancy cutting back on that meal-prepping stress? Get started with HelloFresh and you'll be sent step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients to make weekday meal-planning as simple as possible. What's more, HelloFresh have plenty of kid-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner so you can rest assured that your little ones will eat like champions throughout the back to school period and beyond!

Master the quick goodbye

Tears are commonplace at school drop off, particularly on the first day of school, and trust us, a long goodbye might only make things worse. If your child struggles with separation anxiety, reassure them as you approach the school gates and talk them through what will happen. Once you reach their classroom, try get them involved straight away, either with their teacher, other students or an activity. Bid them a quick kiss goodbye and then leave. They might cry while you're there, but this crying is likely to stop once you're out of their sight.

Skip the back to school social media snaps

Child safety experts warn against posting photos of your child online, particularly if their school or address can be identified in the images. By all means, document this special day, but only share photos with friends and family.