Back to School Tips
While August may mean ‘vacation’ for some of us, for moms across the country, it also equals ‘back-to-school countdown’. With that comes lists, errands, chores, running around and more often than not, stress. Here are our tips on how to keep things sane (and savvy) as you get ready to send them back to school.
Take stock and stock up. Those first few weeks can get a bit crazy as everyone adjusts to the post-summer routine. Prepare some family meals (pasta sauces, casseroles) and other goodies (muffins, cookies) in advance, so you’ll have them on hand for busy weeknights, or last-minute lunch snacks.
Take inventory. Before you run out to do any back-to-school shopping, take stock of what you already have that is still in good condition. Then, make a list of the items that need replacing or that are missing. This is a great activity to get the older kids involved in as well as they take responsibility for their own items (and it’s a great way to keep from overspending).
Early to bed, early to rise. During the summer months, those sleeptime hours can shift. Get them back into shape by gradually moving back bedtime and morning wake-up times (15 minutes a week in one good way). That way, when school time arrives, they’ll be back on their usual schedules.
‘Book ‘Em, Danno!’ Take advantage of any open time in August to get the kids’ appointments out of the way (think haircut, dentist, physical) so you don’t have to be pulling them out of class in the fall. As well, you’ll want to make sure you’ve registered for any fall extra-curricular activities for the kids as many programs have their due dates at the end of August.
School-mate playdates. It can be hard to get the kids motivated to return to school, but catching up with some of their school friends they may not have seen over the summer is a good way to get some enthusiasm flowing. Seeing school pals can also be helpful if your child has any trepidation about returning in the fall.
Re-establish routines. Sleep isn’t the only routine that goes lax in the summer. Set a family calendar up indicating school and activity routines for the fall, and reintroduce the ‘chore list’. This is especially important as it’ll help get the house organized for the back-to-school days as well.
Plan your back-to-school zone. Look at how your house will be affected by the change of pace. Decide in advance where you’re going to keep backpacks, coats, lunch bags, school papers and other items and set those areas up accordingly (i.e. adding extra hooks in the hall, creating a ‘lunch bag’ drawer, setting up a school forms folder).
One last summer blast. August doesn’t have to be all about organizing. Enjoy one last blast of family fun together. Ask each family member what one thing they’d like to do that you haven’t already done this summer and make sure to schedule it in to make some lasting summer memories.
So make sure you take a deep breath before you plunge into back-to-school planning and remember just because August equals the end of summer, doesn’t mean it has to equal back-to-school stress.
For more Fresh Tips to use in the kitchen, at the office, on a trip and more, go to www.ziploc.ca.
