The summer is quickly coming to an end.  

For many of us, this is great news.  

The end of summer will signal cooler temperatures.  

Some parents are counting down to the children returning to school, so they can stop wondering what activities to give them.  

Also, a lot of children are excited to reconnect with friends and teachers. 

On the flip side, there are a few things that we are dreading.  

We’re sharing five things that we are not looking forward to and advice on how to deal with them. 

Back to school expenses 

Back to school shopping is expensive and can be time-consuming. Although most parents begin to shop early, there are usually a few hard to get items on the list. Plus, there are several school activities (clubs, extra lessons, trips, etc.) that also add to expenses.   

Advice: Create a budget and stick to it. Focus on needs instead of wants. If you haven’t started your shopping yet, get your child involved by going over the list together. Remember, there are some things that you can get while school is in session. 

September 

September is sometimes considered a financially dry month. Back to school shopping has become increasingly expensive. Also, most parents would have spent heavily during the summer while their children are at home or summer school. Many companies pay staff on the 25^th of the month and it can feel like a long time if you’ve overspent on back to school shopping. 

Advice: Be prepared to sacrifice. This may include a few paid routines such as gym, eating out or other self-pampering activities. If you’re desperate, it may help to ask for a salary advance.  

Traffic 

Travelling to work during the summer has been enjoyable. Some of us have been able to sleep in a bit longer during the week. At times, the road is almost empty since school is out. September, however, signals the return of terrible rush-hour traffic.  

Advice: Mental and physical preparation is crucial. This means doing all the necessary chores on the weekend so you can ease into the week. Getting back into ‘school’ routine now could help to make it a little easier. 

Earlier wakeups 

For many of us, getting an extra hour of sleep in the morning has been blissful. However, with school back in session, it’s no longer a luxury that we can afford. Preparing for school and beating traffic are back on the agenda. Sadly, this means earlier wakeups.  

Advice: It may be helpful to re-establish sleep routines for everyone. By now, you should have started to cut back on some of the fun activities (staying up late to play games or watching TV) that your children have been enjoying over the summer.  

Helping with school projects 

Parents with children at the kindergarten and primary levels know this task well. Your child is given an assignment and you must help them. The problem is not usually with helping; it’s the time.  After a busy workday, parents still have responsibilities at home to fulfil. These may include making dinner, laundry or closing out some work-related issues. 

Advice: Pace yourself. Ask about assignments early and create a timetable. Get your child to be more independent by allowing them to tell you how to solve problems. Facilitate instead of taking on the project. 

The end of summer can still be fun once we prepare and follow through on our plans.  

We hope these nuggets of advice will make things easier for you.  

Good luck! 

Sources: Great Schools, Ministry of Finance, Teach Hub and Scholastic.