Back to School
With August just around the corner, Back to School isn’t far behind. If you have school-aged children, you most likely have already started thinking about it. Fretting about it even. Let’s not fret! With just a little time planning, we can turn back to school into the easy peasy transition it should be.
Declutter and Inventory
Before we even think about shopping, take some time to check your current inventory and declutter anything that is no longer usable. This could include smaller supplies like dried up glue sticks, crappy holiday-themed pencils (you know the ones that the lead falls out every single time you attempt sharpening them), and larger things like backpacks and lunchboxes. Don’t forget school clothes too! Consider the space at home where your child studies or does homework. Is the lighting appropriate? Do you need more pencils? As you are going through what you have, keep a running list of what you are low on or what you need. Is the backpack your child used last year something that will work for this upcoming year? Do they need a bigger water bottle and if so do you have one at home that can be used? The goal here is to shop your home first, then head to the store.
Some schools or teachers provide a shopping list - that’s a great place to start. At our school, everything is usually provided other than a backpack and water bottle. In that case, there is a lot less to worry about. Lucky us! Once you’ve assessed your inventory and created your list, it’s time to shop.
A Note on Shopping
When I was young, the tradition was that my mom took my sisters and I “school shopping” one glorious day each summer. We’d get a couple outfits, a new backpack, shoes, and a lunchbox. It felt so indulgent - getting it all at once. Now that I’m a parent of young children, I find myself taking a different approach. While our kids would love a shopping spree with good ol’ me, I tend to spread it out over the year. Do they really need new shoes right now? Will their backpack last another year? Don’t let the sale flyers and promotional emails dictate when or what you should be buying! When you do decide to replace something that no longer works for your child, make sure you decide what to do with the old item. Can it be donated or passed onto a sibling? If it’s trashed it can be thrown away or recycled if you have a textile recycling center by you. Whatever you do, don’t let it add to the clutter you have been trying to work through!!
Routines
The beginning of school is a great time to start a new routine whether it be morning, after school, and/or household chores. Do you want to implement a new set of expectations or try a new routine in place of something that didn’t work so well last year? This is the time to figure it out. Sit down and brainstorm what worked well last year and what didn’t. Go through the day from start to finish, considering your morning, after school and evening routines. Think about after school activities, childcare, and anything else that is special to the school year. In the past, we used a checklist for morning and after school routines. It worked so well! For some reason we stopped using it last year and it all fell apart. I found myself constantly asking “do you have your snowpants? water bottles? snack?…” it was tedious and I started getting tired of hearing myself speak. Guess what is coming back for ‘24/’25? Yep. New and improved. If you’d like to see our family checklist, let me know!
Another part of our day that changes significantly once school starts is how we manage mealtime - specifically dinnertime. With four children in multiple activities all year long, it’s rare we are all home together at the same time for dinner. Meal planning is essential to preventing too much last minute take-out and cereal dinners. Don’t get me wrong - I love cereal for dinner once in a while, but our kiddos are moving their bodies and learning so much that nutrition is really important to us. It’s a balance :) Once again, keep what worked and adjust what didn’t.
A huge thing to remember here is that your value as a parent isn’t dependent on the frequency or fanciness of your meals. If all you can handle is easy meals that require a few minutes in the microwave or sandwiches every Tuesday, or whatever it is, that is okay!! I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to have a “real” dinner every night and it became way too much, especially with us all home at different times. Now I do the best I can with prepping during the day or making something easy to heat up later, but if it’s grilled cheese two nights in a row, I’m ok with that. We have enough to worry about - don’t let cooking be it!
Make Appointments Now
Haircuts, dentist, doctor/sports checkups…you know the drill. Make appointments now so you get to snag the best days and times for your calendar. While you are at it, include oil changes, car inspections, and anything else that is predictable. You will thank your past self knowing you have it covered.
Communication
Make sure you have teacher and school communication information at hand. Keep important school information like the school calendar, logins for learning apps, etc. all in one place to make for easy reference. I have a folder all important reference material for school goes into. Anything time sensitive gets put on the calendar and on our cork board as a visible reminder. Do what works for you and make sure others in the family know where this information can be accessed. I keep the school’s phone number in my “Favorites” so it’s easy to call when needed. This might work for you too if you don’t have it memorized (does anyone memorize phone numbers anymore?).
Address the Emotions
Transitions can be hard not only for kids but for parents too. Talk with your family about the changes that are coming up, your expectations as parents/caregivers, and discuss how they are feeling. Ask for their input on what they’d like to see change or stay the same from last year. Address any sticking points further with family members individually. Give yourself grace and space to change and adjust as time moves forward. Making regular check-ins with each other acknowledges the support and gives the opportunity for tweaking things as needed.
We’ve talked about inventorying and decluttering your school supplies, about reusing what you have on hand before buying, creating shopping lists, adjusting routines, and ensuring strong communication is established. For back to school, acknowledging and opening discussion about how everyone in the family is feeling is a critical way to ensure everyone’s needs are met. While you are at it, finish your back to school preparation but putting a check-in on the calendar for later this fall. This way you have the opportunity to make changes and adjustments before things get out of hand.
What has been your life-saving hack for back to school? Are you an early shopper or a last minute spree kind of parent? Tell me more by emailing me at amie@amiedavisorganizing.com or send me a DM on social media. If you’d like access to freebies like my editable monthly checklist (with more on the way!) sign up for my email list here.