Children and teenagers across the Bay will be enjoying one of their last days off before preparing to go back to school this coming week.

As hard as the early mornings and long days of concentration will be, there are a few things that need to be checked off before trotting along to class this week.

School uniform. Tick. Stationery. Tick. School bags, lunch boxes and drink bottles. Tick.

Parents may think they're ready to send the kids back to school this week, but what about getting them back into their school routines?

With the rush and excitement of Christmas and the holidays now over, it's time to get children to slow down and reintroduce some normality.

Mornings are a constant battleground for parents, so it pays to have a ‘get ready' routine. For younger children this might include getting dressed, making their bed, eating breakfast, brushing their teeth and ensuring their bag is ready with lunch, drink, hat and book bag. A visual reminder chart might be helpful.

Routines are good for after school too, starting with emptying their lunch box and drinks bottle and changing out of school uniform.

A snack usually goes down well, and some time to wind down from the school day.

Getting homework out of the way before dinner and before they get too tired is also helpful.

Bedtime tends to be pushed out during the school holidays, but plenty of sleep is important for school-aged children so make sure their bedtime is brought back to pre-holiday times.

Keeping bedtime stress-free is best, including time for a story and cuddles before lights out.

Older children can be more responsible for their own routine, perhaps making their own lunch and washing their own uniforms.

They may or may not be able to self-manage homework, so keep the dialogue up and offer assistance if needed.