What I have Learnt as a Mammy of a Junior Infant

1. No matter how much trouble you go to or how creative you try to be with lunches, your kid will only want the same thing every day. In our case it has to be a ham wrap. Every. Day.

2. These envelopes are super handy. There seems to be something to hand in money for most weeks and envelopes are essential. Also teachers will love you for making their job easier. I got them from Amazon but I’m sure you can buy them in any stationery shop.

3. Yogurts don’t work for lunch at this age. For us they end up all over the lunchbox, if we’re lucky the lunchbox is closed and they’re not all over bag and books as well. Ah well, it was a lovely thought.

4. No matter how prepared you think you or your little one is for starting big school, allow time for settling in, it’s a huge adjustment for your child, they might need a lot of emotional support at home and they’re going to be tired. Super tired.

5. Setting up the homework station is 90% of the battle. Have a home pencil case or container with colours, rubber, topper (sharpener), pencils all ready to go so you can make a homework station in a jiffy. Then you can clear off a section of kitchen table or coffee table or a dedicated table quickly. This is essential in busy households.

6. Little brothers and sisters like to do ‘homework’ too. Have a colouring book or magnadoodle or something handy with the other homework stuff so little brother or sister can do theirs at the same time.

7. The school run might be time consuming and a drag but if you’re a working mammy you always feel you are missing out by not collecting your child at the gate.