Back to School: Helpful Tips

It’s that time of year…time to send the kids back to school for a year of growing & learning. This time of year is always hard for my family. We hate to see summer end, and we dread the return to early mornings & chaotic evenings. I’ve put together some tips that help me and my family feel more prepared and organized going into the school year. I hope these tips can help you too, but remember I’m no expert, this is just one Mom sharing ideas. I’d love to hear your “back to school” tips as well!

Tips for preparing for the First Day of School:

Organize all school supplies & pack backpacks the WEEKEND BEFORE school starts just to make sure you have it all together. This will help prevent you from having to make a late night trip to the grocery the night before school starts. This is also a good time to write your child’s name on all of their supplies

Enact earlier bedtimes a week before school starts, just to give everyone a nice long adjustment period because for our family the change in sleep schedule is our hardest challenge when school starts.

Limit time on electronic devices and discuss what sort of guidelines you will have during the school year. Our rule is that they can only use devices on the weekends. How do YOU limit screen time?

Divide & Conquer: Have a family meeting and discuss what the roles and chores will be for the school year. Who will be responsible for getting the kids to school? Will the kids pack their own lunches? Who will take the garbage out each week? The beginning of the school year is a great time to assign tasks to everyone, because we all know that Mama cannot do everything on her own! A family meeting is also a perfect time to express expectations and make goals for the coming school year.

Organize your Calendar: Sit down and put all of the important school year dates, soccer practices, etc in to your calendar so you don’t miss any important events. I even go so far as to make a calendar for the kids to hang on the fridge to help keep them organized. A Calendar for Children

Make a Menu Plan: I cannot stress enough how menu planning saves my sanity during the school year! It is so nice to come into the kitchen at dinner time with a clear idea of what to make for dinner instead of stressing out and trying to figure out how I can make a nutritious meal with just the ingredients in my fridge. Spending time on a menu plan and grocery list on Sundays saves me buckets of time during the week. The Little Things Blog Menu Plan Monday Archives.