It might not be your typical place of learning, but our School of Chocolate can help you beat those back to school blues

As the summer days roll into Autumn, the thought of going back to school lingers above households in Britain. For some children this might mean they can finally go back to seeing all their chums again, and for parents this could be a chance to finally get some respite in the day.

However, some might find themselves suffering from a severe bout of the back to school blues – but don’t fear, we’ve got a solution. Our School of Chocolate isn’t your conventional place of education, but this doesn’t mean it’s not a place for learning. Beat those back to school blues by taking in something new, whilst enjoying one thing which never gets old; chocolate!

• What are back to school blues?
• How to spot signs of back to school blues
• Make learning fun
• Treat yourself
• Enjoy some family time

What are back to school blues?

Okay, so whilst back to school blues aren’t necessarily a diagnosable illness, the anxiety surrounding going back to school can weigh heavily on children. Whether your child is starting at a new school or moving up a year, the thought of returning to an academic environment after weeks spent with the family at home can be, at the very least, daunting.

Worries about going back to school can spur on feelings of stress and anxiety for your child, which isn’t all that uncommon: 7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety. In some cases, the back to school blues can either make this anxiety even worse, or trigger new cases of anxiety within a child.

How to spot signs of the back to school blues

If your little one is feeling anxious about going back to school, you’ll probably hear a few complaints or concerns raised from them. However, anxiety within a child can also manifest in many other forms: irritation, sleeplessness, wetting the bed and bad eating habits are just a few of the symptoms of anxiety to look out for.

If your child seems to be suffering from a severe case of anxiety then visiting your local GP for medical advice might be the best solution. There are also many free online resources available to help both you and your child manage their anxiety, or you might want to enlist the help of a counsellor.

However, if the symptoms are mild, or your child simply seems to be a bit down in the dumps, then listening to their concerns, treating them to something they love and spending quality time with them might be enough to beat their back to school blues.

Don’t know where to start? Our School of Chocolate is the perfect pick-me-up for your child to help ease those back-to-school worries.

Make learning fun

Education doesn’t have to mean a dull day spent reciting the times table in a dreary classroom – the best sort of learning often involves an element of fun. In fact, according to a 2014 study, children who participate in active learning – which involves teamwork, group discussion and creativity – are 1.5 times more likely to succeed then fellow students who passively learn (e.g by listening to lectures and copying down notes).

At our School of Chocolate, we aim to do just that: teach our students about our beloved chocolate in a hands-on and engaging atmosphere. If your child is struggling with the idea of sitting in a classroom after weeks of roaming around freely, why not get them motivated to learn again with our Children’s Chocolate Workshop?

Our lesson plan consists of a soft drink upon arrival before we teach them about the art of chocolate decorating, guided by an expert. Our chocolatiers also share their knowledge about cocoa and the art of chocolate making. As each child decorates their very own chocolate, they can let their creativity run wild, whilst honing in a new skill in the art of chocolate decorating.

The best thing about the experience? Our students get to enjoy the fruits of their labour by taking home their freshly-decorated chocolate. After a lesson at our School of Chocolate, we also give each graduate a goody bag, so that they can enjoy the chocolate experience even after school’s out.

Treat yourself

Although you might think that only children suffer from the back to school blues, parents can also feel a bit low after their little ones return to school. Whether you’re in need of a pick-me-up, or whether you need a time to de-stress after spending weeks with the kids, our School of Chocolate is a great way to indulge whilst you learn something new.

Our Bean to Bar experience lets you create your very own chocolate. You’ll learn how we turn a handful of cocoa beans into chocolate and how the art of tempering gives your chocolate bar its satisfying snap. All before you sample it, of course!

On top of this, you can enjoy a glass of prosecco as you learn about everything you need to know about chocolate from our master chocolatiers. At our School of Chocolate, the only homework we require of you is that you taste each chocolate in the Hotel Chocolat goody bag we give to you at the end of the lesson.

For something a little more exclusive, treat yourself to a Chocolate Lock-in. For 45 minutes, we open our shop doors to our lock-in guests only: enjoy a glass of prosecco upon arrival, before tasting five of our hand-picked chocolates. After, enjoy a £10 gift voucher on us as you browse the shop, picking out your favourite treats. The perfect amount of me-time before you need to dash home for the school run (just make sure you go slow with the prosecco).

Enjoy some family time

At our Chocolate Tasting Adventure you can learn how to savour each mouthful of luxury chocolate, tasting 13 of our creations with a glass of prosecco on the side to compliment it. However, if your little ones are a little too young to attend this School of Chocolate, why not bring the tasting adventure home?

If the back to school blues are weighing heavily on their minds, set aside some space in your diary for a bit of extra-special family time. Our Chocolate Selectors are three for £10, so you can sample anything from a Raspberry Smoothie to a Chocolate Fudge Sundae in chocolate form.

To really encourage them to think about the chocolate they’re eating, try a blind taste test: cover their eyes and prompt them to smell and feel the chocolate before they pop it into their mouths. Even if they can’t attend our School of Chocolate, we think this form of home-schooling is the next best thing.

Whilst going back to school might prompt some stress and anxiety within your child, it’s important to remain supportive and listen to their concerns. However, it’s equally important that you don’t let the back to school blues get the better of you. Set aside some you-time; even if you’re feeling low about separating from them, after weeks of caring for your little ones, you probably need it.