It's back-to-school time and many parents are breathing a sigh of relief that they made it through another holiday period. Now that your bundle of joy is heading back to school you need to prepare yourself and your family for this change in routine.

A lot of time and money is spent making sure you have just the right backpack, the cool clothes and this year’s fad lunch box, but the most important things a parent can do to get ready for the upcoming school year don’t cost a penny.

• Organize your family's daily routine by creating consistent times for homework, play and bedtime.
• Provide a well lit desk or table for homework in a room heated/cooled to approx 24ºC, where the child can concentrate without distractions or interruptions, i.e. no TV, no younger siblings and no pets.
• Do spot checks on homework assignments to make sure that your child is managing to keep up with the educational standards. If they are struggling, see if you can explain it in a way they can understand. Make sure they know they can come to you if it is too difficult but that you are not going to complete their homework for them.
• Encourage your child's effort to learn by providing a good example -- read a book, catch up on your own work, be available for questions, discuss what he/she is learning and address any concerns about school.
• Set aside time each day for family time. Share the events and details of your day.
• Before bed each night, get ready for the next day by preparing lunches, putting books and pencil cases back into the backpack and picking out clothing.  This will make the morning rush less stressful.
• Make sure your child has a sensible breakfast before leaving the house. Once they leave you can’t control what they are eating so give them a good start to the day.
• Contact your child's teacher to determine the homework policy and expectations regarding parental involvement in classroom activities, and learning activities at home.
• Generate, and if necessary translate, a list of questions to ask your child's teacher.  Include questions regarding what your child should be learning, what are his/her best subjects, what do their test scores indicate about their learning, and whether he/she is completing assignments regularly.   Advise your teacher of any changes that may affect his/her behaviour, i.e. the loss of a family member/pet, divorce, moving house, etc.
• Ask your child how he/she thinks he/she is doing in school. If possible, suggest a three-way conference with you, your child and the teacher.

Finally, if it is your child’s first day at school, talk to the teacher and child together to discuss some of the appealing classroom activities that await him/her at school. Take the opportunity to discuss the child's dislikes, fears, allergies, health problems, religious or other issues the teacher should be aware of.