In Australia, it’s that time of year where parents, teachers and support workers are all readying themselves for the beginning of the new school year or a new year of programs and activities.

It’s that time of year where we can feel the anticipation of what is to come and, if you’re anything like us, you’ll be wanting to make sure that you’re prepared as best you can be for a smooth start to all that is new or to all that is starting fresh!

So what better time, than now, to share some of our favourite ‘new class/activity/program preparation tips’! Because the better prepared you are, hopefully the more smooth the ride over the coming weeks!

Gather Information

Will you or your child have a new teacher or support worker this year? What information could you share that would make the day-to-day interactions as best they can be? Or as a teacher or support worker, what information should you ask for that would help you to best prepare?

We suggest that you gather any ideas that have been noted from previous teachers, support staff or practitioners, to share alongside your own ideas and suggestions. The important thing to remember here though, is that you’ll want to keep it practical, positive and easy to refer to! New staff or a new support team will be looking for information on things that they can say, do or put into place straight away, or that gives them a good picture of your child’s needs (or your own, if you’re self-advocating). And try to avoid the type of information sharing that focuses totally on all things negative.

Re-establish Routine

Sometimes during holiday periods we can lapse into ‘non-routine’ or a different type of routine to what we have during other times of the year.

Take a week or two to re-establish sleep routines, waking early (if holiday time means sleeping in) and to regulate meal times and other daily activities or tasks at home.

It might seem like you’re losing out on the last bit of holiday relaxation time but you’ll thank yourself for it when you begin the first week of school or new programs with the ‘home routine’ already established!

Plan for ‘down time’

Any sort of new activity, group of people, teacher or support staff is going to take some getting used to. So make sure you plan for some down time in the first few weeks of the new year. Allow time to adapt to new daily routines and to develop new relationships. And give yourself permission for extra rest – adapting to new things can be tiring work!

So, finally, we send our best wishes to everyone who is at the beginning of anything new – give it your best, and remember… if you don’t get it right today, there is always tomorrow!