Nourishing the Mother

NTM 547: Creating Back to School Calm (Without Losing Your Mind)


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Back to school isn’t just a diary change…it’s a full nervous system reboot.

In this episode, Julie and Bridget get radically practical about what actually creates calm in the return-to-school season. Not mindset hacks. Not “just be more organised.” But the real, lived strategies that reduce friction, soften mornings, and help both parents and kids land back into rhythm; especially when neurodivergence, sensory needs, or emotional overwhelm are in the mix. This is about removing the predictable stress points so you’re not burning through your capacity before 8.30am… and so you can meet your children with steadiness instead of snapping over socks.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why back to school dysregulates parents just as much as children, and how to work with that instead of against it
- How small, repeated friction points quietly drain your nervous system (and why it’s never really about the socks)
- Identifying your personal school-morning kryptonite before it takes you out
- Running each child individually, instead of treating the family like one blurred system
- Supporting neurodivergent kids with predictability, sensory-aware systems, and reduced decision load
- How personalised stationery, colour-coding, and clear structure can dramatically lower anxiety
- Why writing everything down actually restores capacity (and isn’t another thing to “get right”)
- Front-loading the obvious — socks, uniforms, lunches — so you’re not regulating chaos later
- The reframe: you don’t need more patience, you need more margin
- How logistics create emotional safety for kids (and parents)
- Streamlining lunchboxes and routines to reduce daily decision fatigue
- Having the conversations early that prevent meltdowns later
- Clarifying assumptions around sleepovers, screens, bedtimes, and flexibility
- Preparing for wobble: school changes, transitions, big feelings…without trying to prevent them
- Why this isn’t control… it’s care
- How planning for reality lets you soften into the year instead of bracing against it

This episode is for the parent who wants calmer mornings, steadier energy, and a school year that feels more doable - not because life is easier, but because you are better resourced.


Want support on this journey? Come join us inside Honey Club - where we melt these blocks together, one breath, one practice, one deep remembering at a time. Find out more at julietenner.love or visit: https://julie-tenner.newzenler.com/courses/honeyclub


Reach out to Bridget for 1:1 coaching - bridgetwood.life


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Nourishing the MotherBy Bridget Wood & Julie Tenner

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