There are only a few weeks left before the kids head back to school. Now is the time to form a battle plan so you can conquer all the back to school madness! Here are a few things I do to make the transition easier for the kids and especially YOU!
Organization – Make a spot in your home where kids can chunk all their junk so it’s somewhat organized but easy to access. The last thing you need is to forget to check backpacks before you go to bed. The morning is crazy enough without permission slips and folders being shoved in your face.
I have a bench in my entryway where the kids put their bags, shoes go in a basket under the bench, and jackets, hats, and whatever else is hung on hooks on the wall. There are two other baskets on the wall where I keep cutesy envelopes, a stapler, a few pens, and a checkbook. This way when I’m checking folders I can easily write a check for lunches or field trips, throw it in a cute envelope & put it right back in the folder without having to walk away and risk getting distracted by something else. The slips are back to the teacher on time & you get points for cutesy envelopes J The other basket has fruit and water bottles so the kids can grab a healthy snack for the walk home.
Homework – Plan for your kids to hate it now. Don’t just set up a spot where they can do homework, set up a FUN spot where they can do homework. Buy some fun pencils, pens, erasers, calculators… even a fun desk and chair. My son who didn’t want to write a single sentence, never mind an entire paragraph, wrote a full page about what he did over the weekend because I gave him one of those pick-a-color pens. Every other sentence was a different color, and he loved it! It might look like chaos, but it’s done and without tears. (A note about ADD/ADHD – If your child is struggling to even start on homework, try giving him/her a piece of gum or turn on the radio. This can help give them enough stimulation so homework doesn’t seem bland. It’s worth a try!)
School Supplies – If you decided not to buy the prepackaged school supplies from your kid’s school then God bless you. I’m sorry for what you’re about to encounter. I’m in this boat too though, so if you see me in the store then… I saw that folder first! Walgreens has some AWESOME deals on school supplies. Look at their sales in the paper, cut the coupons & go get your pack of a million pencils for $.10. For those hard to find items, and there will be some, you might have to go to a teacher supply store to get them. There is a good one in Plano by Collin Creek Mall, and I think there’s a new one in Allen off Waters and 121. Target and Walmart will have what you’re looking for, but you will be fighting your way to the highlighters so prepare yourself! Wear body armor and bring backup!
Clothes – Tax-free weekend! Some people think saving $8 for every $100 spent isn’t that big a deal. But pair this with the other deals the stores offer & you’ve struck gold. JCPenney’s is my hangout on tax-free weekend. They have awesome sales and the cutie patootie clothes my kids love! Now, it is overwhelming! The crowds are ridiculous! And I’m not exaggerating when I say my BFF has had to pull me out from under clothes racks because I get so overwhelmed. Go with a friend! And I recommend going without your kids. I know it sounds crazy because they need to pick the clothes out and try them on, BUT when you’re picking through clearance racks you don’t need to be preoccupied with who may or may not be walking off with your kid. Take them to the store the week before to pick out the clothes & try them on. Then, when the time comes you know what they want and the sizes they need, and there’s no stranger danger.
Reading– Yes, your kids’ teachers expect them to read every night for what seems like 3 hours. This is super beneficial for the kids, but please don’t make this a punishment. If the kids are saying, “Awww man! Do I have to!?” then make some adjustments. Take them to the bookstore to pick out some books they WANT to read. Don’t force them to read Little House on the Prairie just because you liked it when you were a kid. My son is obsessed with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and my daughter loves the classic Ramona Quimby books. Give them a fun, cozy place to settle down with their books. Fuzzy pillows and blankets make a fun reading spot. (There are some teachers who think if the kid doesn’t read every single night then the world will indeed come to an end. Kids are in sports and go to church and play and do things, and they can’t fit in the 30 minutes every single night all the time forever. It’s just not practical. If your kid can’t read one night, rather than signing their folder saying they read (which I feel is teaching them it’s okay to lie) then write a little note to the teacher, “My child had basketball and was exhausted. Rather than forcing him to read and making him hate it, we’re going to have him read on Saturday… or a few minutes extra the other days this week.” This gets the reading time in and keeps your kid from sitting out at recess for the missing reading time.)
I hope you have all had a fun and safe summer break, and I hope everyone has an awesome, rewarding school year!
