Director of Students

Maria Franettovich

It was wonderful to look out of my office window this week and see the courtyard filled with students. The joyful buzz and chatter of the girls is a welcome change to the quiet of the past few weeks. Delight and excitement was certainly evident in the smiles and laughter shared by our girls as they reunited with their friends, teachers and Heads of House and Heads of Year for the first time since last term.

Although being back in familiar surroundings and reconnecting with their friends will be a great boost to their motivation and confidence, transitioning back to school will be more difficult for some students. Therefore, it is important to return to the security and structure of routines. Good routines can help your daughter to feel grounded and secure, as well as helping her plan her time more effectively so she can manage the demands of school, friends, work, play and study.

Why routines are good for teens

Some teens like and need routine more than others, but in general, having an organised and predictable routine can have the following benefits:

Routines at home can help teens to feel safe and secure, and can provide stability during a time of change
Routines that include time for fun or spending time together can strengthen your relationship with your teen
Having a regular bedtime can help set your teenager’s body clock so their body ‘knows’ when it’s time to sleep
Having an important job to do in their daily routine (such as feeding and walking the dog) can help teenagers to develop a sense of responsibility
Routines can help teenagers to develop basic work skills and time management.

How to create a good routine

So how do you create a good routine for your teenager? The key is to involve them in the planning so they feel ownership. Here are some tips:

Set a daily schedule with the same wake-up times and bedtimes for each school day—and stick to them
Make study time part of your teenager’s daily routine, with more time allocated for study when assignments or exams are coming up
Factor in time off—knowing there’s a reward for all that hard work is a great motivator
Make it visual—draw up a chart, keep a day planner on the fridge, record the routine on your teen’s phone or computer
Include your teenager’s deadlines for school assignments and exams on your calendar or planner so they can see what is coming up
Practise, practise, practise—it might sound obvious, but the only way to make a routine stick is to be routine about it!
Don’t worry if you miss a beat, no one’s perfect. If the day does not go to plan, just smile, stay positive and start again the next day.

You can learn more at www.learningpotential.gov.au