Simon Bishop, founder of The Hug App, has put together his five time saving tricks for managing the back to school rush.

Simon recommends that parents ensure their kids are enrolled in all after school extra-curricular activities prior to term starting. Try and choose local activities to reduce travel time where possible.

Simon points out that as a parent it is a good idea to try to get up before the kids and get yourself ready so you don’t feel rushed and have time to yourself. If your partner isn’t involved in the morning childcare routine have them involved in the preparation the night before to reduce stressful morning rushes.

Ensure routines are in place prior to term starting again – ie. Bedtime

A good tip is to lay out uniforms the night before and pre pack lunches. Have the kids pack their bag before bed to prevent morning scrambles for lost homework and sports uniforms.

Understand the changes to your kids classrooms and classmates and counsel accordingly – this typically creates anxiety as they are often removed from their close friends to prevent cliques causing children to delay when it comes to getting to school on time.

One app can help ease the stress!

The HUG app is a great tool to facilitate a lot of these tips as it allows parents to both receive support and support each other.

Thirty per cent of parents report conflict between their work and family roles as they return to work, and for single dad Simon Bishop this was no different.

After realising how much of his time was spent organising the logistics of school drop-off, pick-up, basketball training and piano practice for his nine year old daughter Bailey, whilst managing a full-time job, he sat down and created The Hug App in one night.

Available nationally and free to download and use, The Hug App is a secure, private online community that connects parents, family members and friends in need of transport or care for their little ones.

Would this app be useful to help with your daily routine?

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