It's the end of August, which means school is on everyone's mind. With a laundry list of things to do, we can't help but feel overwhelmed. Helping us through the angst is Jen Woods, The Time Doctor and Sweetmama expert...
With school quickly approaching, it’s time for us to get back on track. Any tips for keeping Moms organized during back to school season?
The back to school season is definitely a busy time, and with more than enough things to do, it can sometimes feel a bit stressful. The best advice is to stay organized; plan out what you need to do in advance. With some careful thought and a written list of what you need, keeping organized during this season can be a breeze. Keep these ideas in mind for your back to school planning:
- Start your back to school shopping on a casual basis by purchasing some of the items on your list whenever you can, or whenever you happen to see them in a store. By shopping as the mood strikes, you’ll be partly prepared before you even know it!
- Some teachers will provide a list with the required supplies for the year, ahead of time. This can be very helpful in getting prepared for the first day of school. If you are able, encourage the teachers at your child’s school to adopt this practice. If you don’t have a list of what your child will need for the year, prepare your own using your “best guess” and include things that he or she will be sure to make use of such as a backpack, pencil case, water bottle, writing utensils and a calculator.
- Have the family calendar in place and ready to go before the school year begins. Choose an on-the-wall version or fridge calendar in a central place that everyone has access to. Set this up early and be sure to enter all sports events, homework assignments and other school activities or deadlines on it, so everyone can be on the same page from day one. Keeping the schedule in a central area allows everyone to keep organized and stay on track. It also starts teaching your kids some of the skills to remain organized throughout their scholastic careers.
- Adjust the morning routine. Get up earlier and prepare as much as possible the night before. Include the kids in preparing their own lunches. With your supervision they can pick and choose items and learn to make healthy lunch choices. Pick fast and easy breakfast items to make the mornings as stress-free as possible.
The phrase “back to school” can loosely be translated to “schedule upheaval”, however, it doesn’t need to be as disruptive as it sounds. Remember, your schedule also changed two or three months ago when school ended. Now, your kids are going through change adjusting to being in a new grade, meeting new friends and teachers, so a stable and comfortable home transition makes it easier on everyone. Try making use of these tools to make a seamless transition to the new school year.
Dr. Jen Woods knows first hand the struggles and challenges that parents can face while trying to balance the everyday chores and responsibilities of parenthood. In an effort to help other busy working parents like herself, Jen started the Time Doctor business in the spring of 2008.
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: