Tips and Tricks for Back to School

Oh, yes, it’s already that time. I truly felt this summer had barely started and now its time to pack up those new school bags and lace up those new sneakers. It’s also time for a little peace and quiet around here, but I digress…

Even the seasoned pros need to prepare themselves for back to school. My kiddos are both in early elementary yet, so I speak from their standpoint. Here are a few of the things we do to prepare for the fall school routine:

1) GET TO SLEEP!! While I am really one who lives by our bed time routine, we relax quite a bit on the hour at which they actually climb into bed in the summer. Well, no more! At least a week or two before school begins we move back into the old routine. Earlier bed times and strict ones at that. They need time to adjust to going to bed on time, and getting up on time, too. Yes, that means YOU need to get up earlier too! Practice getting ready and having breakfast on time. Good sleep makes good students!

2) EAT A GREAT BREAKFAST! Our school, as well as many others offer a breakfast menu (if you can get there early enough). That isn’t always the most frugal option, but some days it makes the whole morning routine easier. Have a good selection of healthy-yet-quick breakfast options on hand. Pick things up with your school shopping that will be ready for the first day. I confess I just can’t get a full-on breakfast ready for them every morning. I rely heavily on hot and cold cereals and our toaster (with built in egg poacher!). Make sure that they have a cereal with some fiber and low sugar. Sugary cereals lead to practically lethargic kids by 10 am. Offer juices (real juice, not Kool-Aid!) to go along with their food. Occasionally I can get out some bacon and eggs before school and it’s a treat. Please don’t let your kiddos go to school hungry!

3) SHOP EARLY FOR SUPPLIES We tend to get our school supply list late. I have a pretty good idea of what’s on there now. By the time I got our first year’s supply list the stores were almost cleaned out of the items we needed. I ended up paying more for non-sale items! Buy a couple of everything, you know they’ll lose things, break things, or just plain use them up. Back to school sales, even when you buy extras, still saves you money rather than buying in December.

4) THEIR ENTIRE WARDROBE PROBABLY DOESN’T NEED REPLACING! I like to let my kids get a new outfit. They usually need a few pairs of jeans long enough to cover their recently exposed ankles. But often, much of their stuff will still work. Be frugal! Don’t replace perfectly good clothing just because they had it last year. I say if it fits and it still looks good, it works. Of course, the kids like to prove me wrong and grow out of everything they own!!

5) TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS The big kids know what to expect from school, and also what is expected from them. A little reminder never hurts. My new pre-schooler will have no idea what she’s in for. It won’t take long to let them know the kinds of things they will be expected to do. You know, line up, raising hands, asking for help, taking turns, all that stuff. I remember the concept of forming a line to be totally foreign to my little guy when he started. Give ‘em a heads up!!

What do you do to prepare your children for school? Please leave a comment below and help add on to the list!!!

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