“Back to school” — those three magical words for parents. We are finally at the last weekend before school reopens. Getting back to school after 60 days of vacation can be exciting, stressful and everything in between. Edgar W. Howe writes: “If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers.” I know a few who would surely agree with this.

According to research (my own), three out of five mothers say that their kids watch more TV, play more video games, surf the net more and watch more movies during the summer months. But don’t fret: It’s never too late to re-establish some limits. Whether you have a kindergartner just starting out or a teen in high school, it takes some time to get into a routine. I usually have a plan for this, and my strategy is simple.

1. Plan a last blast: This weekend, my son and I have planned a fun movie morning followed by late lunch and a session of gaming after that. Guiltless, so that for once we can enjoy our screen time. It’s also our way of saying “farewell summer”.

2. Balance: When my son was in primary school, I would teach him about finding balance between outdoor and indoor playtime. I would sometimes have to switch off all gadgets to make sure he went out to play. That’s a typically Dubai syndrome, I’ve heard. However, this summer, he’s had a serious taste of nature, having spent two weeks in the wild, and I don’t think I can explain it to him any better. He’s seen life outside the PS4 and laptop, and it’s not too bad. We can actually survive without video games and YouTube.

3. Timetabling: Another activity that we enjoy as part of our back-to-school routine is creating a school year plan. We create a little chart per day of the week, on activities planned, homework time, chores, playtime and the like. Kids don’t understand the concept of a “Monday” or “Tuesday”, but when they see their activities written down, it’s easier for them to accept and know what to expect.

4. Pack your bag: I ask my son to check his school accessories and come back to me if his pencil box is too old or has missing pencils, and we shop accordingly. And this gets my son back into school mode.

It’s been a long summer, and I have been looking forward to school reopening. But as we get ready for another busy academic year, I know I’m going to miss those lazy morning hugs.