Back to School Time!

Summer vacation came to an end this week and my back to reality we all went.  Back to waking up to an alarm, packing lunches, homework, and attempting to get these two off to school on time.  As much as I was not quite ready for heading back into a routine (I like staying up late and sleeping in), I am pretty sure that Ethan was ready, he has been all sorts of antsy ever since we came home from vacation.  Weston is a completely different story, he is always sad to leave the quiet of the house. . . unless we are going on a vacation.  He is loving school, though! 

In honor of the first week, I thought I would share some tips that we have learned over the past few years that have really helped keep our year organized and sane.  These are things that we have used every year just because they work for our family.  Your family may have different dynamics or things that work better.  I'm just sharing ours. 

1.  Stay organized.  I am not always great at this, but when I do things go so much smoother than I ever dream.  We have a family command center that has a computer (we've replaced that old clunky one with a little laptop), the kids each have their own bench and drawer, a place to hang their backpacks.  They know where their stuff goes, so it usually goes back into the spots.  If things are too heavy, they just get put into the crate under neath them.  The library books also go in there, so they have a home so we don't loose them.    On the bulletin board, we keep a monthly calendar, weekly calendar, and the menu plan.  By planning meals, we save money and time by not daily trying to figure out what we are going to eat.  Since, I know I know our schedule for the week when I am meal planning, I can plan for specific meals on nights where there are meetings or sports practices.  You can see the original command center post here.

2.  Create a routine that works with your family.  The teacher in my loves routine.  I have always found that kids thrive in an environment that they know what to expect.  This is the first year, we aren't using our mourning routine cards because they have this down (You can read about them here though).  I did make one for our oldest that stays in the bathroom and reminds him about deodoarant and washing his face, because he's a boy who would rather be doing other things and we need to make it a habit.  We also have daily chore cards that have helped so much because if it's in writing, there is nothing to argue about.  These chore cards tell them which days they set the table or clear off the table, empty the dishwasher, fold clothes, etc.  They know what's expected of them and have learned that the sooner they get their stuff done the sooner they can veg out our play video games. We try to keep bedtimes at the same time, that includes showers, reading time, and lights out.  We are crazy and our kids are in bed by 8:30 at the latest because they need their sleep.

3.  Get as much done the night before.  I am not a morning person and there never seems to be enough time to get all the things done in the morning.  I have learned that doing things like packing lunches and setting out clothes the night before is a huge help the following morning.  If you need some lunch inspiration, I've got some here and here. 

4.  Take advantage of sales and learn to wait for the school supply clearance.  When school time rolls around, I know that my kids need certain items for school and certain items in our own stash to keep stocked away for homework and projects.  I also know that this stuff adds up, even when you are buying them on "sale."  I stock up on crayola markers, crayons, and colored pencils when they are a dollar and 50 cents.  Don't be cheap and by the store brands. . . they just don't work as much.  Also, stock up when Ticonderoga pencils go on sale.  Grab a few packs of paper and a couple notebooks and then wait.  Wait so patiently for all that stuff to be marked down and then go buy your notebooks and paper for almost nothing.  And then see what else is there.  You will thank me, I promise.  (also, I shop at Target. . . I don't know how that works for Walmart).

5. Choose to love on your child's teacher.  I say this every year, but it something that is so important.  Teachers work so incredibly hard for very little acknowledgement. They don't do it to receive those words of praise, they do it because they love kids and want to see them thrive.  They spend money out of their own pockets and put in more hours then the normal school day to make your child's learning experience one for the books!  So, pick up an extra wish list item or grab them their favorite chocolate bar on a rough week.  Don't wait for teacher appreciation week to spoil them.  And really, get to know the person who is spending all day with your child.  Volunteer in their room or see if there is anything they can help you with.  Periodically check in on your child.  This really helps build a great child-parent-teacher relationship that I kind of took for granted until my child got into a fight and ended up suspended last year.  Trust me, not the phone call you want to get.  But, knowing that my child had an incredibly loving teacher and an equally loving administrative staff, I knew that my child was going to be okay and the suspension was not going to change the way that he was loved on by the staff. 

I am sure you have a lot of things you do and I would love to hear them!  I am always looking for ideas to make our transition into school mode a smooth one!  Feel free to leave a comment and feel free to even share.  It totally makes my day when someone reads my blog and leaves a comment!  

I hope you have a fantastic first week of school!