Five things to do before the school term starts

Don’t get us wrong, kids are amazing, just not when they are running wild at the mall or eating all the food in your refrigerator – which is what usually happens during the holidays.

There’s no avoiding the festive season madness, but your start to the school year does not have to be as chaotic.

Set your alarm clock earlier

If you worked throughout the holidays, you would have noticed that there was a lot less traffic on the road. Driving to your office was probably a breeze with hardly a car in sight, but you can say goodbye to your traffic-free days. It’s back to school for pupils, and back to reality for motorists.

Make a checklist

To ensure a pain-free start to your back to school run, make a checklist of everything that needs to get packed in school bags, and layout uniforms the night before. Plan breakfast and school lunches the day before for a stress-free first day.

Have some alone time

Unwind with a good book, or lock yourself in the bathroom while you enjoy a heavenly bubble bath with some mommy juice (aka wine), and no distractions.

Plan a spa day

After the madness of the festive season, and back to school shopping, you need at least one relaxing day to get back your mommy mojo?

Meet up with your friends

The holidays are all about family and friends. But most parents spend more time chasing after their kids and making sure they are entertained than with their adult friends. Change that immediately! Meet up with your friends before your leave ends, because between back to school and the starting work, there just might be even less time to meet up in January.

If all else fails, just remind yourself that soon the kids will be out of your hair for more than half the day!

Here are pictures of moms celebrating their children’s return to school to get you excited about the big day.

READ: Geeky parents are good parents