Five Back-To-School Hacks

If just thinking about the back-to-school rush makes you want to hop a jet plane home, don’t worry! Yalla has five life hacks that will make settling back into a routine much easier.

Let’s face it- getting the kids fed, dressed, and out of the door on time every day is a huge accomplishment, and it’s probably the reason we’re already reaching for the super-size cappuccino! But there is one way to help soothe your morning stress- make-ahead breakfasts.

Overnight oats, muffins, and smoothies can all be made the night before, saving you time and hassle in the morning. Better still, why not make a big batch of your favourite granola bars or even pancakes and pop them in the freezer? They’ll keep your mornings easy peasy for weeks on end!

We’ve found these great breakfast recipes from Annabel Karmel to give you some inspiration.

Packing up a healthy, child-friendly lunch box every day is a task that most parents dread and often find not just repetitive, but futile when its contents are returned untouched. Make your child’s lunch the talk of the table with these five easy tips.

1. Involve the Kids Not only will they learn that this is a job that they are capable of doing and supposed to do, but they’ll feel more ownership of what’s going in their box and more inclined to eat it.
2. Turn Healthy Foods into Fun Foods Cookie cutters and fruit skewers can turn humble bread, cheese, and fruit into really fun fare.
3. DIY Snacks Packaged snacks can be very high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats so take control of what is in your kids’ snacks by making them yourself, from easy snacks like cheese and crackers to making your own energy bites or granola bars.
4. Incorporate All Food Groups A balanced diet includes every food group so don’t exclude a single one in any given meal. Be sure to include varying amounts of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains.
5. Skip Fruity Drinks It’s recommended that school-aged kids drink between 6-8 cups of water a day and, in a place like Abu Dhabi, they should probably drink even more. If you’re worried your child doesn’t drink enough water at school, make sure to include water-packed foods in the lunchbox, such as watermelon, strawberries, salad greens, cucumbers, grapes, and bell peppers.

Children spend nearly 30 hours a week in their school shoes, that’s more than 15,000 hours during their academic careers, and so it’s vital that their shoes fit.

Finding the right shoes, namely ones that are durable and will pass your headmaster’s test, is not easy. Mums pull their hair out in the final weeks of August searching for that hard-to-find black or navy and dark-soled stem, or regulation trainers.

This process is a lot easier when you visit Clarks. The British shoe manufacturer has many years’ experience measuring children’s feet accurately to ensure they are as comfortable as possible when they explore the world around them. Visit www.clarks.ae for store locations.

Stock up on stationery with plenty of time before school starts. Some schools require specific types of stationery so make sure you find out before you buy anything unnecessarily.

There are Borders stores in most malls in Abu Dhabi which stock everything from cards and paper to cool new backpacks. Off the beaten track a bit though is a hidden gem of a shop, All Prints, located in Al Hosn. Stocking everything from paper to pencil cases the store has an international vibe, and you can pick up almost anything, often at better value prices than high-street equivalents.

Even small changes in daily routines can make a huge difference. Empowering children to help with simple tasks at home won’t only take some of the stress away from you, but it can help to improve their self-esteem, make them feel more responsible, and help to develop their problem-solving skills. Start by giving kids simple tasks that you know they can achieve- such as getting themselves dressed and ready for school, or making their bed in the morning- and reward them when they have completed their tasks with something simple such as letting them choose a film to watch that evening.

If you’ve got any more tips about surviving the first week back to school then we’d love to hear from you! Send your advice to yalla@yallauae.ae