With two children, Faith, 11, and AJ, nine, Michelle Heaton is a dab hand at getting her set for school. But with her daughter starting secondary next month, the family is adjusting to change.
“Faith’s nervous, but also excited,” says Michelle, who is married to businessman Hugh Hanley. “She’ll be getting up half an hour earlier, but she’s not a morning person, so that might be a struggle!”
Over the summer, Michelle has taken a few steps to ease Faith’s nerves, including organising a special day to buy her uniform and shoes. “I’m about £500 down, and this is state school,” she jokes.
“I put AJ into golf camp, and Faith and I spent the day together. I let her pick things, like her shirt style and skirt length – I recommend going for the shorter option, or they’ll hate you afterwards! Then we went to Wagamama for lunch.”
So, how does Michelle juggle the school routine? “It’s all guns blazing,” she says. “Now that Faith’s at big school, we’ll leave the house just before 8am – I’ll drive her at first, so it’s a gentle introduction. The kids make their own breakfast, but I get their uniforms ready and their bags packed the night before. I’ll make AJ’s packed lunches when I’m cooking tea, but Faith will have school meals.”
When it comes to homework, Michelle, 44, sets aside time straight after school.
She says, “I don’t want it to be stressful, so when we come home, Faith will do it at the kitchen table while I cook tea. With AJ, things are changing because he’s recently been diagnosed with dyslexia. Homework has been a battle and now we know why, so I’ll be taking guidance from school about how to help him. We’ve stayed calm and I think it’s really positive that we know.”
For smart life hacks to save you time, money and make you feel good, follow The Boost on Instagram.