School years.

Before and after school can contain a lot of small demands. A visible plan can help you share the remembering, without turning every afternoon into a strict timetable.

A practical place to begin

1. Add fixed school or club arrangements to the family planner and keep optional plans separate.
2. Choose a short getting-ready or coming-home list with your child if they find that useful.
3. For an older child, agree the reminders together and change wording that feels too young.

Our school-morning and after-school printables are labelled for ages three to seven. The weekly family planner is not age-specific.

A printable that may help

• A gentler school morning · Ages 3–7
• The after-school landing pad · Ages 3–7
• The weekly family planner · For mums & family life

A school-day question does not have to become an interview. Find a moment when your child is comfortable talking and be open to hearing about something small, mixed or difficult.

A practical place to begin

1. Ask an open question, or offer a way to draw or write if that suits your child better.
2. Listen to what they want you to understand before deciding what action to take.
3. If a concern keeps coming up, agree a next step and speak with the appropriate person at school when needed.

Do not use a feelings sheet to assess mental health or investigate a safeguarding concern. Seek appropriate professional or safeguarding support when needed.

A printable that may help

• A little feelings check-in · Ages 3–7
• Our little family catch-up · Ages 3–7

Forms, reading notes, event dates and school messages may arrive in several places. A small adult-led system can keep important actions visible without making a child responsible for all the admin.

A practical place to begin

1. Choose one place for dates and actions that need a reply, and check the school’s official communication channels.
2. Ask the teacher what is expected for learning at home rather than assuming every family should do the same amount.
3. If a task is not accessible or is becoming a repeated difficulty, discuss an adjustment with the school.

School systems and additional-support terminology vary across the UK. Use the language and process of your child’s setting.

A printable that may help

• The weekly family planner · For mums & family life
• The family jobs board · For mums & family life

Digital routines work best as an ongoing conversation, not a single rule written once and forgotten. Think about what your child uses, who can contact them and how they can ask for help.

A practical place to begin

1. Start by asking your child to show you the games, apps or activities they enjoy.
2. Read the platform’s age rules and safety information, and use trusted online-safety guidance to review settings together.
3. Agree how your child can tell you about something uncomfortable without the conversation starting with blame.

A family chat sheet is only a conversation prompt. It does not make an app safe or replace safeguarding advice.

A printable that may help

• Our little family catch-up · Ages 3–7

Official guidance & specialist support

• NSPCC: understanding online abuse and finding online safety advice

Holiday weeks and school clubs can bring different hours, costs and collection arrangements. Start with the commitments you actually need to cover, then leave some unplanned space.

A practical place to begin

1. Write down the dates that need childcare or another arrangement, checking term dates with your school.
2. Confirm a club’s age range, access, fees and collection rules directly with the provider.
3. Choose a few realistic shared activities and a simple fallback for a changed plan or rainy afternoon.

The rainy-day and outing sheets are labelled for ages two to seven. For older children, use their interests to choose a different activity or make your own list.

A printable that may help

• The weekly family planner · For mums & family life
• The rainy-day little list · Ages 2–7
• The out-the-door list · Ages 2–7

Official guidance & specialist support

• GOV.UK: finding childcare and help with costs
• Scotland: help paying for childcare
• Wales: help paying for childcare
• Northern Ireland: help paying for approved childcare