Father driving kids to school

Getting back into the school routine

It can be difficult getting back into the school routine after a long summer holiday – for both parents and children! In this article, Laura Marcus has highlighted a few things that might help you conquer the school rush and beat the holiday blues.

Having a Motability Scheme car is a good place to start – if you are in receipt of a higher rate mobility allowance you can apply to join the Scheme. Or if you are the parent or guardian of a child aged three or over you can apply on their behalf.

Getting used to a new environment

If your child is starting a new school, it’s a good idea to do a test drive of the route a few days before school starts so you get used to it. There won’t be the same traffic on the road but this will do wonders for increasing your confidence for the main event. If you take your child with you on the dry run it may help curb their first-day nerves – as well as your own!

If they are returning to the same school, there will still be a new class for them to get used to, probably a new teacher and maybe new classmates. So why not plan to leave home earlier than usual for the first few days back so they get a chance to get acclimatised to their new environment?

If your child is attending a new school and you have a Blue Badge, try and have a look on the school’s website or ring them up to check whether there are sufficient disabled parking bays nearby for you to drop your child off and collect them. If not, try to make an arrangement with the school to drop them off elsewhere, such as inside the school gates—whatever you decide, it will save you a lot of stress to get it sorted out before the first day.

Child in car

Doing a practice drive to a new school before term starts can help build confidence for both parents and children

Making your child more comfortable

If your child has specific needs or requirements, it might be helpful to arrange to meet their new teacher so you can make them aware of the additional support required for your child at school. If it’s a new school, try to meet the head, too. Schools have policies in place for children with special needs, so it’s worth trying to find out what help and resources are available at your child’s new school.

Get used to early mornings again

It could be useful to work out ahead of your child starting their new school how much time you might need in the mornings to leave the house. If your child finds it difficult to get out of bed early, it might help to set their alarm earlier than needed for the first few days.

Having technology in the bedroom such as a smartphone or tablet can also be a distraction. While they’re useful as alarms, research has shown that using them before bed can make users take longer in falling asleep – and the temptation to check them is sometimes too great to resist! So it’s better if your children don’t go to sleep with their devices by their side and you use an alarm clock instead. One way to make a clear demarcation between holiday and weekends and school days is to suggest your children leave the phone and/or tablet outside the bedroom on school nights.

If you can do a dummy early-morning run before school starts, this will help get the family back into the swing and assess how much time you need in the morning. If you can try to get up at least ten minutes earlier than necessary. It’s much less stressful to have a bit too much time than a bit too little.

Other ways to use your Scheme car

Although your Scheme car is a way to get your children to school, it can also be used for other activities, such as after-school activities and classes. There are lots of ways to get more out of your Scheme vehicle for you and all the family, including going fishing, going on weekends away, and trying out sports.

About the Motability Scheme

The Motability Scheme enables you to exchange your mobility allowance for leasing a car, mobility scooter or powered wheelchair. Disabled customers with children can lease a family car, and customers who are not themselves disabled can join the Scheme on behalf of their children and lease a car or Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) that is suitable for their needs. Use our car search tool to browse the types of vehicles available on the Scheme and explore our adaptations to find the right one for your family.

Related articles:

How the Motability Scheme can help if you care for someone with autism

Free and accessible days out in your own backyard

Fun for the whole family in Wiltshire

From the Motability Scheme


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