It's that dreaded time of year for your kids and potentially one of your favourite times of year as a parent. That's right, it's nearly time for your kids to go back to school for the new term after the long summer holidays! We are sure that your kids will have had a great time this summer and that the holidays were a perfect combination of relaxing time mixed with various activities such as day trips to the beach or theme parks, for example.

Unfortunately, because the summer holidays are so lengthy here in the UK, most children will probably have fallen out of both their usual routines and sleeping habits. Keep on reading for some advice on how to get your kids ready to return to school and how to improve their sleeping pattern.

How to get your kids ready to return to school

Returning to school anxiety is definitely a real thing, and if you don't remember what it's like to be afraid of returning to school after the holidays, then just think of how you feel when you have to go back to work after a break. It can be quite daunting! There are several things that you can do as a parent to ease any worries that your child may have.

1. In the week before school starts, try and talk to your child as much as possible about school life. Listen to their concerns and reassure them that it's natural to feel anxious. You could talk about their friends, activities that they like doing, their favourite lessons and their teachers. This will have the effect of helping your child to remember all of the positive things about school and will encourage them to want to return.

2. If your child is a little older, they may have already been hanging out with their friends over the holidays. If your child is on the younger side, try and arrange a get together with a few of their closest friends either at your home or at a local park with parental supervision. This will help your child to reconnect with their friends and they will then know who they can go to play with at break time on their first day back at school.

3. Have a think about what your child might need when they return to school. Do they need new uniform, a bag or stationery? If so, you could take your child on a shopping trip for these new items to help them feel as though they are prepared.

How to improve your kid's sleeping pattern

1. If you've been a little lax with your child's bedtime routine over the holidays then now is the time to start implementing one again. If your child is on the younger side, you could start with a bath and then finish with a bedtime story for kids. A bedtime story for kids is also a great way to reintroduce reading, so you could even choose a book that you know has been or will be read at school. If your child is a little older, you could have a conversation about the days events and then let them have some alone time to choose what they want to do, such as listen to a podcast or some music, for example, before the lights get turned off for the night.

2. You should make sure that your childs bedroom is suitable when it comes to good sleep hygiene. Make sure that there isn't a bright streetlight shining through the curtains that could be helped with black-out blinds, for example. Check that they have the right bedding for the season so that they aren't too hot or too cold. Check that they aren't still looking at an electronic device after you've turned out the lights - we know that most teenagers will definitely be trying to do this!

3. In the week before school begins, start waking your child up at the time that they will need to wake up to get to school on time. The same goes for bedtime. This will hopefully protect your child from tiredness in the first few days of school as their body clock will have returned to normal.

4. Get them a bed that makes them comfortable. Here at Children's Bed Shop we stock beds that will give your child the perfect night sleep, one of the beds that is best for this is the Kids Avenue Estella 2 Midsleeper Bed with Pull Out Desk, Chest and Cube Unit in Grey. Giving your child a comfortable bed is one of the best ways in making sure that they get a good night sleep. Another bed that will make sure your child gets back in their sleeping pattern, is the Amani UK Mission Storage Bed in Grey.