Mom, Are YOU Ready for School?
Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle
There is a lot to think about when your children are going back to school.
The positive aspects about kids going back to school are:
- Structure
- Schedule
- Growth and development for your kids
But we all have reservations about ending the summer, especially losing:
- Slow mornings
- Pajama days
- Extra vacations
So, Mom, you may be really excited that school is coming (or for some of you, already here!), or you may be missing those extra little special things about summer.
Regardless, let’s make it a great beginning of school with a little pre-planning.
Update your paperwork
Have you checked to make sure your kids’ shot records are up-to-date? Does the school have the correct address and phone number for you and any one else responsible for your child? If you are starting any new school, have you made sure to turn in all of their required papers?
Get all activity calendars
Go to the school district website and print out their calendar. Meld it into your family calendar (Google calendar or Cozi calendar are most accessible). Go to the websites or meetings for all the other activities of the household. Go ahead and put meeting dates, lesson times, soccer games, auditions, and practices all on the calendar as well. Now, you can get a handle on the rest.
Schedule your daily lives
After seeing what your week will look like, pencil in chore times and homework times, too. Don’t forget to pencil in family game night or special movie night. Try the systems on Flylady to simplify your daily activities and get it all done.
Invest in a white board and a cork board.
Even though things are all electronically put into your Google or Cozi calendar, that doesn’t mean you won’t forget things. Having a white board for family notes and a cork board for important papers helps.
Do you have a meet-the-teacher date?
It is best to try to get to your child’s classroom and actually see where he will be all day every day. A good classroom is really like a second family, so see and experience his home away from home. Experience the teacher first-hand. If you like to help with school functions, but you don’t know how, just put it out there with the teacher. Like, “I have a full time job, so I can’t be here daily. But if you need a parent to send out group e-mails or fold papers at home, I can help you with that.” The little things you can do to be part of your child’s school life can help you feel like you are in the inner loop. If you can’t get to the meet-the-teacher date, find out your child’s teacher’s email address and send a quick email to introduce yourself. Perhaps tell her what your day job is. She may find a really fun way for you to stay involved. Try to make it to open house or other school activities, or plan a day that you can have lunch with your child at the school.
Have you done the shopping?
Most schools have a list of their required materials. Before you run out the door, excited about a great sale at the local drug store, check the school website for a materials list. Try to stick to it. If you need other things, your child will probably find out on the first day.
Going clothes shopping may be worth it in certain circumstances.
Things like underwear, jeans, and shoes are worth trying on before school starts. If your school is on uniform, it is worth it to try those on and shop if necessary. Anything else: trendy outfits and too-hot-for-Labor-Day outfits are not necessarily part of the list right now. Your child will come home with all new ideas of her fashion sense after seeing what the other kids are wearing. So, it’s best to put it off for a really good fall sale.