Back to School Essentials - Get organised and make your life easier

Eat. 

Whether it’s school, kindy or day trips with the family, a decent-sized lunchbox, that’s easy to open (for the kids) and easy to clean (for us), means no hangry, frustrated kids and less stress at the end of the day for us. We have a couple of favourites depending on your needs:

1. Nestling Stainless Steel Bento Box - great for older kids (and adults) with bigger appetites and dishwasher safe.
   
   
2. Yumbox Lunchboxes - these are super easy to open for toddlers and fit a generous amount of food in several compartments, so perfect for fussy ones as you’ll be able to fit a range of foods.

Drink.

Kids of all ages need their thirst-quenching after all that running around in the summer heat, so choose a good-sized drink bottle to keep them hydrated and ideally one that doesn’t leak!

1. The Camelbak range is our favourite - they’re easy to open, leakproof, have replacement valves and straws and come in a wide range of fun designs. There are stainless steel and insulated options to keep water feeling cool and fresh
   
2. And if Mama (especially a breastfeeding Mama) is out and about accompanying little ones to playgroup or the local park, the stylish Bink Mama Bottle makes it easy to stay hydrated

Protect.

It’s usually mandatory for kids to have hats and sunscreen at school and kindy. And even if you’re little ones aren’t there yet, you’re guaranteed to get plenty of fresh air over the summer. Protect sensitive young skin with a practical hat and sunscreen.

1. Bedhead hats are some of the most practical hats we’ve found and they’re good looking too! They feature wide brims to adequately cover the face and neck, have appropriate ties to adjust the sizing and are made from natural fibres to prevent sweaty, itchy heads. Some styles also feature a ponytail hole, perfect for kids with long lush locks.
   
   
2. Solar buddies.  If your kids have an aversion to sunscreen (as many seem to), the Solar Buddies applicator may be just what you need. Fill it up with sunscreen and the kids can easily apply it to themselves with no mess and no sunscreen-y hands that will later irritate the eyes. The roller and sponge will apply the sunscreen so no one needs to get their hands dirty,
   
   
3. Sunscreen. It doesn't take much to get burnt in the Australasian sun. Use a high SPF sunscreen to protect delicate skin. We love the skinnies and Babu range.

Carry.

Whether they're at school or getting out and about with mama, there's lots to carry. Food, drink, spare clothes, not to mention all the rocks, leaves and 'bits' little ones tend to gather along the way. So choose a durable, easy-to-use backpack and make sure you check out the pockets to organise all the 'bits'.

1. The backpack. A decent bag is a must for any big kid. It needs to be big enough to hold at least a change of clothes, lunchbox and a drink bottle, but small enough that they won’t keel over backwards when they have to carry it! Look for straps which have a good length; yes, you will end up carrying it more than once and pockets. Lots of pockets.
2. The travel bag. Organise all the little bits so they're easy to find. Use a Bumkins Clear Travel Bag to organise your child's bag. Separate spare undies for little ones or use to keep pens & pencils together for older ones. The travel bags are easy to find and use and are super handy for bags which already overflowing.

Sleep. 

After a long summer of light evenings, warm temperatures and being allowed to play later than usual, the usual bedtime routine may have gone out the window. It's time to gradually get back to a reasonable bedtime to ensure everyone has the rest they need to deal with earlier mornings, learning and generally getting back to routine.  

If bedtime has crept later and later, try to move it forward again in increments of 15 minutes. If needed introduce black-out blinds to block light from an earlier bedtime.  

Re-introduce some wind-down activities before bed such as stories, a quiet card game or listening to a calming music track.

Read more on how to get back into a school routine here.

Prepare. 

Two words. Spare Clothes. Your little ones will inevitably find a way to get wet or dirty, so a change of clothes is mandatory. A bumkins wet bag is not just for soiled nappies and wet togs, it’s perfectly sized to house a complete change of clothes.

It’s easy for kids to find the bag, take out the dry clean clothes and replace them with the dirty/wet clothes which also (hopefully) means fewer items left behind…no guarantees!