Back-to-School transition: From jetlag to jump start

After weeks of late nights, jet lag-friendly mornings, and summer’s flexible rhythm, Kristen Coakley and her family are back to the reality of 6am wake-ups and lights out by 8pm.

“Our routines are structured with set times for meals and bedtimes,” says Coakley, Partner, Consultant and Executive Coach at Fluid Moves International. “With early start times for school and sports, the whole family is awake and getting ready for the day by 6am.”

Canadian by nationality, Kristen lives in Dubai with her husband, Ben and their three children, Sophia, 10, Oliver, 8, and Leo, 5, who all attend Safa British School. During term time, she explains, everything orbits around the kids’ schedules — school, extracurricular activities, and sports. “The exercises help them to know what to expect each day, which makes transitions easier,” she says. Summer, by contrast, is looser, with brighter evenings, travel, and the kind of flexibility that comes from adapting to other households or new destinations.

But even for a seasoned executive coach, the return to structure comes with its hurdles. “The most challenging part is the early morning wake-ups,” she says. “Getting kids up, dressed, fed, and out the door with their school bags and lunches is always a challenge. Add in the fact that we’re waking them out of their natural sleep rhythms, and it’s even more difficult.”

To make the transition smoother, Coakley leans on preparation. Bedtimes and wake-up calls are moved earlier a few days before school starts. She takes her children grocery shopping for snacks and back-to-school essentials so they’re involved in the process. And because the family often spends the summer away from Dubai, she insists on giving the kids a few days to “re-acclimatise to being home, play with their toys, and settle in so that they’re ready to leave the house for school”.

She doesn’t just prepare her children, she gears herself up mentally as well. “I’ve always loved the energy of back-to-school season,” she says. “This year, as I head into my second year of an Executive MBA, I’m feeling that same mix of anticipation and renewed focus as our routines fall back into place.”

For her children, the emotional adjustment is eased by spotlighting what excites them most. “We focus on the excitement of getting back to see their friends and restarting their sports clubs,” she explains. Her daughter Sophia swims competitively, so they emphasise reconnecting with her squad team and preparing for school swim try-outs. Oliver, she says, is “football-mad” and looks forward to his first practice with the squad, while little Leo just enjoys the bustle of school. The weekend before term begins, she has them pack their own bags and lay out clothes so they feel in control of the change.

Organisation, she says, is the backbone of sanity. “We have a family calendar in our kitchen so everyone can see what’s coming up,” she explains. She personally takes a couple of days to map out activities, plan meals, and prep school gear so she can shift her own mindset for the year ahead. A colour-coded calendar system keeps kids’ activities, her work, and family events distinct, and it syncs with her Skylight calendar. “If I don’t give myself the time and space to do this, the shift can feel overwhelming, especially in those first weeks when school piles on activities, events, and try-outs.”

She is quick to point out that this orchestration is not a solo effort. Their nanny, Melody, is central to making it all work. “Melody is a key part of our family,” she says. “We work together on a weekly calendar that outlines uniforms, sports activities, classes, instruments, and library books required each day. Honestly, getting three kids ready for school with all their activities, while working and studying, wouldn’t be possible without her.”

If she has one piece of advice for other parents, it’s this: don’t wait until the first day of school to get started. “Ease into the routines a few days to a week ahead,” she says, “and make it exciting for the kids by focusing on the positives based on their passions.”