6. Nail up a notice board

Keep a notice board at "base camp" so that you can pin up reminders, invitations, school menus or whatever else you need to keep tabs on.

7. Do it now!

If anything comes home from school that requires your attention, do it immediately. Fill out forms and put them straight back into satchel. Write dates into your diary there and then, and reply same day too. If you postpone it, you will forget it!

8. Give homework a home

Establish a place and time for doing homework and stick to it. Keep dictionaries and other necessary books nearby, as well as a spare set of pencils, rulers and other stationery you might need. Make sure that homework is put back into satchels as soon as it is completed and that satchels are returned to "base camp" straightaway. Get out a kitchen timer if kids are reluctant to start (or finish!)

9. Be prepared

If your car is running short of petrol (gas), fill it up on way home from school in afternoon rather than panicking following morning! As you drive home, run a mental check on whether you have necessary supplies for dinner, and breakfast. Nothing makes kids more miserable in morning than an empty fridge.

10. Get ahead

Set your alarm to wake you up 10 minutes earlier than usual. You will be amazed at how much more in control that 10 minutes will make you feel. And finally, leave for school 5 minutes early. Arriving early takes away an enormous amount of stress and will put your children in right mood for school.

Are you convinced? Start initiating some routines in your school days and you and your kids will feel benefits very quickly. Making sure that your kids feel comfortable and in control before they get to school gives them best possible start to a school day. And once they get used to afternoon and evening routines for homework and preparation for day ahead, nighttimes become more peaceful too.

"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." ~ John Dryden

I thought of story last night when my little girl was using every delaying tactic in book about going to bed, and just refused to settle down. I caught myself thinking, “Oh no, I’ve got to go upstairs, miss end of television show I’m watching, and calm her down and settle her into bed” … but quickly replaced thought with something along lines of “I’m lucky that I "get to" spend 5 quiet minutes with this funny, amazing little girl, even if I am tired and could do with some rest!”

And I thought of story again just this morning when beeper on my tumble dryer annoyed me into emptying my clean washing! I turned some very negative, lazy thinking around by reminding myself that I was lucky to have a tumble dryer, clothes to put into it, and family to be washing them for! It was still a chore but somehow it didn’t seem such a bad one anymore.

My husband reminds himself of story when alarm clock goes off early in morning and he struggles out of bed and to train. He "gets to" go to work. Many people don’t. And I think of it when I am sitting, uninspired, in front of my computer, wishing that I didn’t have admin or website chores to do for Activity Village. The thought doesn’t last long. I may have admin and website chores to do, but I also "get to" provide activities and inspiration to parents, teachers and children around world every week. How lucky can I be?