Back To School Tips For Busy Moms
The end of summer is upon us which means school will be starting very soon. These Back to School Tips for Busy Moms is perfect to help you make sure you stay organized and don’t miss a thing on your to-do list.
Why is the back to school season so hectic?Is it all the back to school forms your child needs signed and returned, the never ending trips to the store to gather their school supplies or getting back into the groove of a new schedule with new practice times for their extra curricular activities? So many things to keep up. No worries, some of the ideas listed here may be ideas you have used before, others may not be applicable based on your child’s age or needs and some are just a few ideas to help make this time of year a little more fun. We recommend you print out our free Back to School Checklist printable. Click here to download a copy the checklist.
Back to School Checklist: Schedules
Most school districts make their calendars public months or even up to a year prior to the start date so take advantage of that. Print off the school calendar and put all the important dates such as school closures, district holidays and days that may alter your daily schedule where you may need to make arrangements such as a day camp or babysitter on your personal calendar. Whether your calendar is online or a traditional paper planner, this is something that can be done before school starts. While writing the important dates down on your calendar, keep in mind dates that will require an alternate care plan for your child such as days the school is closed but you have to work or times of an emergency where your child gets sick at school. Think of who you can depend on to step in for you so when a situation arises, you are prepared.
Back to School Checklist: Paperwork
Pick one night within the first week to do all of the paperwork. A lot of the paperwork in many school districts has been added online and can be completed prior to the start of school. If you have more than one child and they have the same papers to be completed, a time saving hack is to fill one child’s papers out completely and use it as a template to copy all the information onto your other children’s papers. If your child requires a physical/check-up, be aware of what the school requires and make sure to schedule the appointment so you aren’t making several trips to the doctor. If your school requires immunizations, this is a great time to make sure your child is up to date to ensure the correct paperwork is filed at the school.
Back to School Checklist: Shopping
The best part of back to school shopping for the kids is shopping for clothes and supplies. Make sure to check your school’s supply list online and begin your back to school shopping. Like district calendars, supply lists are made public before the end of the previous school year. A great budget hack for you would be to purchase one or two supplies every time you go to the store to cut the cost coming out at one time. Back to school shopping for clothes is a tradition before school starts. Many states have tax free weekends which is a great time to stock up on essentials that your child will need to get through the first half of the school year. When looking for shoes, keep in mind whether your little can tie their shoes or if they are in the process of learning. If they are not able to tie shoes on a consistent basis, it would be a great idea to have a pair of velcro shoes accessible to make coming in from recess less stressful. Most teachers have classrooms with over 20 students. Can you imagine the teacher tying 20 pairs of shoes prior to heading in from recess? As if their day is not short on time already. Parent hack, buy the velcro shoes, your child and teacher will thank you for it.
Back to School Checklist: Counting Down
Attend any back to school or meet the teacher events that your school schedules. This is a great time to meet your child’s teacher, ask any questions you have that pertain to the first few days of school or get clarification on any supplies you have questions about. One of the most important things to do before school begins is to mentally prepare yourself for the hustle and bustle of the back to school season. Make sure to start your child back on a bedtime routine a week or so before the big day and consider alternate routes to school in the event there is an excessive amount of traffic along your usual route. Do you have any other ideas that are on your list of to-do’s before the big day? Drop them in the comments below.
