Back To School: Preparing for an Awesome School Year

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    Are you ready for a new school year?

    Whether you’re a veteran mom to school-aged kids or you’re sending your little one off to school for the first time, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for a new school year. This year I have three children attending elementary. It takes a lot of planning and self-discipline just to get everybody out the front door each morning. If I didn’t have a plan and a routine in place, I might go a bit crazy. I will share with you a few tips that I find helpful in preparing our family for a new school year.

    Tips for Back to School Time

    Prepare a homework station.

    Designate a special area just for homework time. My children have found the kitchen table to be a good place to settle down for homework. Just find an area that suits your family. Your homework station can be a small table, an office desk, or any quiet nook in the house. In preparation for their first homework assignment, have your location picked out and gather all the necessary supplies. Remember to have sharpened pencils, notebook paper, and an eraser readily available. If your homework area is used for other purposes (i.e. the dinner table), use a caddy to take your supplies from one area to the next.

    Start planning back to school lunches.

    Hopefully, you have found a nice, sturdy lunchbox by now. But, don’t forget to purchase ice packs designed to keep your child’s lunch food cold, sandwich cutters, lunch containers, and thermoses. I send water everyday in their thermoses. It is cheap, healthy, and easily accessible. Check out Alecia’s Kid Approved School Lunches when deciding what to pack for your kids. And stay tuned for more of my kid lunch ideas and photos that I will be sharing with you soon.

    Have school clothes or uniforms ready.

    Make sure all the necessary clothing has been purchased, washed, ironed, and ready for the school week. It’s best to go through your kid’s closet before purchasing new school clothes. Find out what fits, and what’s ready to be tossed or donated. Then, decide how many pieces you still need to buy. Don’t forget shoes, socks, and underclothes. There are plenty of sales during this time of year, so take advantage of them when making these types of purchases. Find a spot to hang each child’s clothes for the following school day. Make sure your child picks out their clothes ahead of time. This will be a morning lifesaver! You can avoid the clothes argument and the frantic scrambling on your busy mornings.

    Buy or make a small teacher appreciation gift for the first day of school.

    Though this is definitely not necessary, it is a nice gesture towards someone who has already put in so much planning for the school year. Teachers always welcome school supplies. Or, go ahead and send the traditional apple for a quick snack after school. Another idea could be to send a bottled water with a flavoring packet. (You know those teachers have to do a lot of talking that first day!) Add those cute tags with those silly puns just for fun. You can also give a “You survived the first week of school” gift or treat at the end of the school week.

    Prepare a fun back to school night or weekend.

    Think of this as a last hoorah before school starts up again. On the weekend before school starts, go to the movies, take the kids to the beach or pool, or plan something else that your family enjoys doing together. Some families make a special back to school night before the first day of school. This is a good time to take dinner and/or dessert requests! Make a big deal about going back to school and get the kids excited for a new school year. For those children starting school for the first time, read a comforting book about the first day of school, and enjoy some snuggle time with them.

    These are just a few tips to help you get back into the school routine. I hope all of your kids have or had a great first week back. Get ready, get set, and get back to the school routine!!

    Are you ready for back to school time? How do you prepare for an awesome school year?