09/09/2026
And just like that, we’re back into the swing of school. 🎒
After a summer of slower mornings and more freedom, our children are suddenly back to schedules, early starts, busy classrooms and hours of sitting, listening and learning.
They’re waking earlier than they naturally might.
Eating when the schedule says it’s time.
Trying to keep their bodies still.
Following instructions.
Managing noise, friendships and expectations.
Doing their best to listen, learn and keep up all day long.
That’s a lot for a developing nervous system to hold.
Sometimes we see it when they get home: the tears, the complaining, the arguing, the bouncing off the walls or the meltdown over something that seems so small.
But that behaviour isn’t “bad.” Often, home is simply where they feel safe enough to let go of everything they’ve been holding in all day.
So at this time of year, I’m trying to focus less on managing the behaviour and more on supporting what’s happening underneath it. For us, that might look like:
• Slower evenings
• Leaving plenty of time in the morning so we’re not rushing
• Having nourishing meals and snacks ready after school
• Creating quiet spaces with books, sensory toys or sensory bins
• Spending one-on-one time together without asking too many questions
• Getting outside, going for a walk and moving our bodies
• Spinal Flow sessions to support their nervous systems
• Offering more rest and fewer expectations while they settle back in
It also means taking a moment to regulate and prepare myself before school pickup. Because the after-school release can take a lot of energy from me too. The way I care for myself affects how much capacity I have to meet them with patience and understanding.
Back-to-school regulation isn’t about creating perfectly calm children. It’s about recognising what their bodies have carried all day and giving them a safe place to soften, move, connect and be themselves again. 🤍
