Is it time for your child to go back to school?
I know you are excited and at the same time separation anxiety is hitting the rooftops. Also, I know the preparations are overwhelming. Does the whole back to school season feel like a competition to show how awesome you are as a mom? If yes, sit back and follow me. I’m about to share back to school hacks that will make it easy for you. This tips will save you time and money, ensure you are emotionally ready to let your child go, and your child is prepared for the school year.
Shopping for the school requirement
“This is a huge list!”
“How should I shop for all these stuff?”
Such a monologue might be running through your head right now.
Have you considered shopping on a tax-free weekend? Shopping on a tax-free weekend will help you save some money.
Also, you can opt to shop online. Some online stores have super awesome bargains that will save you money and time hopping from one store to the other looking for the items.
Caution: Please ensure you don’t compromise on quality in the name of saving on money and time.
Establish Routines
Weeks before school begins, it is essential for you to establish routines for your child. For instance, if the child is supposed to sleep by 8 pm and be get up by 7 am during school days you can implement the routine weeks before school kick starts. To help your child learn the routines, you can have all the tasks organized on a chart.
Having a routine will help prepare the child mentally and emotionally for the new school year. This tip will also make life easier for you since you will not have to deal with an unprepared child.
Meal preparation
As a mom, maintaining a healthy diet for your school going child should be top on your priority list. It is tempting to have them eat from a cafeteria, but you should rise above this temptation. Before school begins, take your time to come up with a meal plan. A meal plan will help ensure you have everything you need beforehand and gives you room to cook and preserve food in the refrigerator.
When school begins, it is crucial for you to pack lunch the night before. It is advisable to involve the child in choosing what they want to be packed for their meal.
Picking outfits
As an adult, I know you have had one of those mornings when you need to rush somewhere, but you don’t know what to wear. You end up pulling out almost every outfit in your closet, and you end up wasting a lot of time.
I’m sure you wouldn’t want to go through the same with your child especially not on a school day. To avoid such a scenario, together with the child you can plan the outfits for a whole week and label them accordingly.
Prepare a designated area for the backpacks
Just like you have an assigned space for your car keys and coats, you can have one for the backpacks too. I know you have heard stories about school bags “disappearing” in the house. A designated area will give easy access for the child as well as for you when you need to check their homework.
Talk about school with the kid
Your kid needs to get prepared mentally and emotionally about school. As much as you would want to assume that going to school is normal, some children have a tough time transitioning from holidays to school days.
Talk about the new grade, the new teacher and what they expect in the new school year. If you have some time to spare, you can drive the child to school to help them re-orient with the environment.
In case our child is going to a new school, it is advisable to take the kid to the school for a tour to help the child learn a few things about their new school. It is vital to try to find out what the kid feels about the school.
Buying the teacher a back to school gift
Your child’s teacher is an essential pillar in the child’s life. It is good to make them feel appreciated. Buying a gift for the teacher does the trick. Being the awesome mom you are, I know you want to bring out your A game in this. Remember to keep it simple. You don’t need to break the bank.
It is my sincere hope that you will find this back to school tips helpful for you. If you have a suggestion to add to the list, please feel free to share. Sharing is caring, right?
My kids are all grown so now I help our church purchase back to school supplies for our local elementary schools. They are always thankful for our help.
Oh man, it’s going to be SO WEIRD when the time comes that I have to think about these things!!! I have a little kicker due in December! I don’t think I am ready WHAT SO EVER! lol
I really enjoyed reading your post, you have so many great tips. When the kiddos were younger. I would iron their clothes for the week and make sure that they had their snacks and everything else ready the night before.
Establishing that routine early in the school year helps the kids stay organized all year long. These are great tips that will come in handy for families with kids of all ages.
My daughter was just talking about back to school. She will have two in school this year. The school list has already come out.
My kids are all grown up, and though back to school is a little different for college and high school students, I always remain involved in all possible aspects of their education.
Great list! I do try to give extra items to the teacher on the first day and I let them know to let ME know if they need any supplies. They should not have to buy a thing and it’s a shame that they do.
I am not yet a mom but I couldn’t agree more on this. Definitely such the best considerations that you need to take into account when buying school stuffs.
Thank you, Anosa have a nice day.
I definitely love the suggestions. It will also make a child’s life easier once school starts. A good routine is awesome and will keep the flow smooth sailing for the rest of the school year.
I agree it will Karen and I am counting the days because it will
be nice to have some time to myself.
We have almost two months of summer left, so fortunately, I have time to prepare. My kids are getting older, and getting back into a routine is getting a little easier. It takes a lot of work to get ready for school!
Marysa, it does take a lot of time to get ready so I do things each
week so we don’t end up overwhelmed and we also have almost 2
months thank God.
This is an amazing list. My son is just going into preschool so I feel like a total fish out of water!
You will do fine Maddy and so will your son and he is going to enjoy
being in school although you may feel lost for a little while.
I can’t believe my kids are headed back to school soon. I’m not ready for the early morning wake ups.
I am not either as I hate getting up early in the mornings.
Both my kids are grown up and I’m way past this back to school tips. I will share these tips with my daughter.
Thank you Liz and I hope these tips help her out.
We haven’t finished school yet in the UK, still a week and a half to go, but your tips are so right – especially the designated area for backpacks! They drift everywhere in our home otherwise!
Thank you, Sara-Jane and your kids attend school late. As for Backpacks
I am setting up a spot inside the door and if I find it all over the house it will end up in the trash.
I want my son to become more responsible.
Back to school shopping is the one that gets to me most, it gets so crazy busy in the stores. I love the fact that my girls wear uniforms so we don’t have to fret about outfits for the week
Shoshana, I hate Back to School Shopping as well and is why I
shop all Summer so I miss the chaos. As for uniforms, they are
nice and their is times I wish my son had to wear them.
My oldest is off to Kindergarten so I am starting to think about all this stuff now! Meal planning is huge – thankfully they have uniforms so outfits won’t be too big of an issue haha
No, outfits will not be Brit and beginning Kindergarten is great congrats.
I think you nailed the tips great. As a mom of three, I’ve done these more times that I can remember. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Bernetta and I only have one child now and I also do this a lot.