OK, so there is just under two weeks until the new school year and a common assertion to be heard from parents at this time is “my child is ready to go back to school”. A similar assertion is “I am ready for my child to go back to school”. Whenever I hear these assertions I interpret them as the child and parent are subconsciously craving a return to the stable and consistent routine of school term-time. We all need a bit of change, excitement and surprises in our life, but over the longer term we function better and enjoy greater wellbeing with stable and predictable routines. Many of you will have seen my earlier post about restoring sleeping routines. My suggestion is that you begin to restore other routines, such as mealtimes, personal hygiene rituals and anything else that has become more relaxed during the holiday period. I anticipate that, once re-introduced, a return to “normalcy” will have the effect of reducing minor conflicts and allow parents and children to enjoy what remains of this special time for and with our children.