I hope you all have had a fun and
memorable summer vacation! It is that
time of year again for back to school. Here
are some tips to help you prepare and plan for back to school, I hope you find
them helpful. Feel free to share any
other things that your family does to prepare for back to school in the comment
section.
Start bedtime and wake up routine 2 weeks before school starts. I know with summer break it is fun to let the
kids stay up a little later than normal and sleep in. It is important to practice your school
bedtime and wake up routine before the first day of school, not only for the
kids to get back in the habit but also for you the parent getting them
ready. This will make the transition
back to school smoother for everyone. It
helps them prepare mentally for going back to school.
Pray for your child’s teacher and classmates. We have always prayed for the right teacher
for our children and it has amazed me each year, there has been two specific
times where, we were certain of the teacher they were going to have, it was
already set, we had met the teacher but even with that, we prayed during summer
break and a change took place weeks before school started and it ended up being
some of the most memorable teachers that my boys have had and I know it is a
result of praying and trusting God to have the right teacher for that specific
child. It does not have to be a lengthy prayer,
we simply say “Thank you God for the right teacher for (insert child’s name),
thank you for all the right class mates, thank you for godly influence upon
their life and for a fun, educational and blessed school year.” You can make this part of your bedtime
routine or even incorporate into the blessing you speak over your meals.
Clean out and prepare your pantry for lunch and snack packing. Prepare for packing lunches and snacks by
stocking your cupboards and make sure you have the necessary supplies, Ziploc
bags, or reusable containers for packing those school lunches. Have your sticky notes handy for those lunch
notes to send with your children.
Have a spot where you set out school clothes the night before. My kids wear school uniforms which makes
getting ready in the morning much easier than picking out an outfit but even
with school uniforms, setting it out the night before and having socks and
shoes ready to go, makes the mornings smoother.
If you have a specific spot, on top of their dresser, maybe on a hanger
on a hook, or on a night stand, it helps both you and the kids stay organized and
prepared. Also have a designated area
where backpacks will go, so they don’t have to search in the morning for their
backpack and so they know where they go after school and you don’t have them
laying around the house.
Get a head start on back to school shopping, don’t wait until the last
minute. Shop as soon as you see
those back to school sales hit the stores.
Not only will you get first pick of the supplies, I find this is
especially important when it comes to backpacks and lunch boxes. You also won’t be rushed the week before back
to school trying to get everything. I
have done back to school shopping a few different ways, find what works best
for you. Sometimes going to one store
and getting all the supplies at once, makes it easy and less time
consuming. Sometimes, if you can shop a
little each week, most stores will have “special” deals on a few items each
week where those items will be at the lowest cost. Remember to pick up extra supplies while they
are on sale, this comes in handy to replenish throughout the year as well as if
you do not end up using them during the year you will have a head start for the
following school year. This year I had
half the items on their supply list already purchased from last year, which cut
the cost of my back to school shopping for this year. |
| First Day of School 2014 |
Print out or order those “First Day of” Signs for first day pictures. If you like to take those memorable first day
of school pictures, prepare ahead of time, make sure you have your camera
ready, batteries charged, and if you want a sign that says the grade and date
have it printed out ahead of time, or you can order signs on Etsy Shops and
many blog sites, Pinterest is a great place to search for ideas. Don’t wait till the night before to get
ready, have as much done as you can ahead of time.
Prepare a homework station. If
you have all the tools in a central location it makes homework easier so you do
not have to search for glue or scissors or any other items. You can purchase a small bin or container to
hold all the necessary supplies for homework such as: crayons, markers, pencils,
pencil sharpener, eraser, ruler, scissors, glue and anything else your child
may need. You can find colorful containers
at the dollar store and many times right in the back to school section of your
local retailer. 
Do something fun the weekend before as a family. With going back to school and getting back to
earlier bed times and homework, plan some fun family things the week before or
at least the weekend before back to school.
Visit your local swimming pool, go out for pizza, camp out in the backyard
or in the front living room. Enjoy the
extra non-structured time you have now with your children. I know once school starts, the evenings seem
shorter and a little more hectic with homework, and after school activities, so
enjoy and savor the moments where you have extra time to spend together without
feeling rushed by schedules and to do lists.
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