Back-to-School Tips for Mommies
If your family is like ours, you spent the summer making the most of every day. Your car is filled with sand and you have worn nothing but flip-flops since May. Well, it’s time to start gearing up to get yourself and your kids ready to head back to school. This can be a stressful time for everyone. If you are already finding yourself overwhelmed, you are not alone. Here are some tips to help make the transition from summer back to school a little bit easier.
1. Routine, Routine, Routine!
I like to start getting back into a routine at least a week before the first day. We go back to our regular bedtime and everyone is up and out of bed on time, ready to start the day. We eat dinner around the same time every night and before bed we turn off all of the electronics and pick up books.
2. Clothes Shopping
There’s a good two months after school starts where my kids are still wearing their summer clothes. I’ve learned not to stress about new wardrobes before the first day of school. It’s nice to have a new outfit for the first day, but other than that, don’t stress! You have plenty of time to figure out what they need and get it later.
3. School Supplies
Our teachers send lists of what the kids will need throughout the year. Print out the required list for each child. Shop online for the must-have things like pencils so you know for sure you are getting what they need. Then pick one store and let them pick out a few things they want. Let them pick a few items they want and move on.
4. Scheduling
Invest in a dry-erase calendar that you can use for the whole family. Make it easy! Let the kids write in their own stuff and you can fill out yours. This way everyone knows what’s going on. On a side note, this might be a good time to remind you not to overschedule your kids. Sports and extracurricular activities are great, just make sure there’s room for them to just hang out and be kids, too.
5. Organization
Buy a folder for each one of your kids. Put any important papers in there. Whether it comes from the teacher or coach, you know where to find things when you need them. This way, when your child has a field trip and you are already late and can’t remember if you need to pack lunch, you can take a quick look.
6. After School
It’s important to have a routine for after school as well. We like to come home, have a snack and do homework right away. I empty their backpacks and folders to make sure I immediately see anything for me and anything important. After homework, the kids have time to play before dinner. We try to have dinner around the same time every night when we can. After dinner, it’s showers, reading and bed. There’s no fighting because this is our schedule. Period.
7. Dinner
It’s no secret that dinner is incredibly important for children and for families in general. It’s a time to connect and just be together. Studies have shown that when families eat together each night, children are less likely to get into trouble. In our house, we go around the table and each person has to answer three questions: What was the best part of your day? What was the worst part of your day? What is one thing you learned today? Show them you care how their day went. Children need your support.
8. Take Pictures
Take pictures. Not just on the first day, though. Take pictures of them doing their homework. Take pictures when a friend comes over to play. Take a picture of everyone sitting around the dinner table. Take pictures of everyday life because when time goes by and you want to reminisce, you want to look at what was real in that moment, not just what everyone posed for. Life’s too short – take pictures, and make sure you get in some, too!
