HelpfulHints~Back2School Madness

©   Brought to you on Sundays by Winivere2002 ©

Today's Helpful Hints:         Back to School Madness ~A Mom's Guide~   © 1). Ease the family into a school year schedule. During the last two weeks of summer, re-introduce a school year bedtime. Begin waking late sleepers earlier and earlier, closer to the hour they'll need to rise when school begins. Just as we are taught to be prepared for fire drills, etc, take thetime to see how much time your kids actually need to get ready. When you know how much time it takes to get ready, it is easier to plan at what time they need to get out of bed. Also schedule meals and snacks according to school meal schedules, if possible. Younger children, in particular, need to adapt to new meal routines before the school day demands it of them. Plan meals and snacks to accustom little ones to rituals of the school day before the school year begins.       2). Gather important papers. School entry may require documentation from immunization records to report cards from the previous school year. A little preparation can prevent frantic last-minute searches. Call your child's school before registration day to find out what paperwork will be required--then find it! While you are on the phone with the school, find out how you can get a list of the school supplies your child/ren will need.        3). Clothes. Take an afternoon to assess each child's clothing needs. Empty drawers and closets of outgrown or worn-out clothing. Check for possible hand-me-downs from older siblings as you make your list. Store, discard, or donate the rest. To encourage decision-making skills, include your child in wardrobe strategy decisions, guiding them to include color matching options for more versatility. If you discuss the needs list and the family budget with your children before you shop, you will be able to stretch your child's wardrobe options with less clothes and you will avoid in-the-store tantrums.       4). School supplies. You have access to your child's school supplies list, so buy those needed items now while they are on sale. If you wait until later in the year, the items will be higher priced and/or you might not be able to find them.      5). Get the house organized to meet autumn's faster pace. Forget about spring cleaning. Focus on surface cleaning and putting things back where you found them.       6). Create a menu plan for the week or the month. This cuts down on having to decide what to cook, so you can focus on more important things. Keep the same schedule every week, i.e. Monday night~ pasta, Tuesday night~ chicken, etc, but be creative as to how it will be prepared. Once you have your menu in place, use the same menu every month. You may get your kids to help in the kitchen to get them excited about learning how to take care of themselves, and you may go a step further by assigning them a day to do the cooking. My children, for example, were assigned Friday nights to cook. They loved it so much, that they began cooking more than once a week, which helped us so that we could spend more time together as a family.       7). Make a prepared shopping list. Separate your list by bread, dairy, meat, fruit, vegetables, condiments, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. Make copies of this list and put it on the refrigerator door. Check off items you need so it is ready when you go to the store. When you come back from the store, throw the old list away and put up a new list so you will be ready for the next time you go shopping.      8). Cook more than you need and stock the freezer with prepared meals for stress-free dinners on sports nights or when you are in a hurry. You can also separate single servings into freezer baggies and lay them flat in your freezer (convenient and cuts space). Also consider freezing an extra batch of homemade cookies.      9). Calendar Central! You need one large calendar to include everybody's schedules. You may want to color code your calendar per family member and/or per activity, i.e. red for medical, green for money and bills due, etc.       10). Color-Code. While we are on the subject of color-coding the calendar, you may consider assigning a color per family member for such things as toothbrushes, towels, backpacks, etc. Whatever color they choose will be their color for the school year. For example: Jane chooses pink. She gets a pink towel, pink toothbrush, pink backpack, pink lunchbox, pink toy bin, and her color on the calendar is pink, etc. Other things to consider are pink garments or pink underwear and pink socks! Things are so much easier to find when they are in your color and it helps kids to be more organized.      11).Dish Bins. Offices use mailboxes, but you may consider assigning a colored dish bin for each family member to put their things into when they come home from school or work, i.e., books, keys, watches, pocket change, important papers for the next day, personal items, etc.      12). Dining Room chairs. You may also consider getting your children to get into the habit of leaving their backpacks on the dining room chair to ensure their school items are ready for the next morning. This will also help to serve as a place for mom and kids to add  lunches or snacks, papers, and clean gym clothes and socks.      13). Avoid having to decide what to wear in the morning. Get your child in the habit of laying out their clothes the night before. This is also a good habit for adults! That way, everything is ready and it avoids that morning rush.      14). Invest in a comforter or quilt instead of a bedspread. Throwing a comforter or quilt over the bed is a lot faster and much easier for kids to make their own bed! It saves extra work for mom, and it helps teach children responsibility.     15). When your child gets home from school, provide them with a healthy snack. This will help kids to unwind and it will also help to get them through until dinner.       16). Make learning fun. Making time to read with your child/ren is the best investment you can make for their future. Include it in their bedtime ritual. There are many kids in high school who do not know how to read.      17. Assign a place where your child/ren can do homework. Every child learns differently. Some need a quiet place. Some require a little music in the background to help them concentrate. Learn what works best for your child/ren. Be available to help your child/ren with homework, but do not do their homework for them. If you do not understand what your child/ren are studying, you may want to consult with their teacher to see if they need to stay for tutoring.   © NOTE:   As a single parent most of my life, I thought these hints might be helplful for any mom, but especially for working moms and single moms.  Some of the organizational skills may also be helpful for single people. ~Win =.)