The Labor Day holiday fast approaches, and with it, the countdown to back-to-school! What are you doing to get organized without any of the headache? Read below on these tips to make back-to-school:
PUT THE FAMILY CALENDAR IN PLAIN SIGHT. Sure, you have your smart phone digital calendar. But nothing helps keep parents and kids uber-organized like an old school big paper calendar in plain sight, somewhere near your phone or desk in the kitchen. Here you can track doctor and dentist appointments, extracurricular activities, birthdays, holidays and more. Use markers and stickers to make it kid-friendly or just a plain old pencil, it’s up to you.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SALES. Retailers are running great sales on clothing and other back-to-school items, all through August and into Labor Day Weekend. Take the time to go through your kids closet and dressers to assess their needs. Discard or donate the items they’ve grown out of or are too beat up. Make a list of what you need and tackle it. As much as you can, focus your wardrobe shopping in one location, so you don’t make yourself crazy. Target and Macy’s have fashionable and affordable options. Target also has a lot of school supplies in addition to clothing; if you shop with their REDcard, you get an automatic 5% off of every item.
GET YOUR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH SYSTEMS DOWN. If your kids are in middle school or older, have them help you and take on responsibility by making their lunches the night before. Also make sure they know where to locate their preferred breakfast meal in the kitchen. You’ll be teaching independences and responsibility as well as cutting down on the mayhem as everyone rushes to get out the door in the morning.
MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD’S IMMUNIZATIONS ARE CURRENT. The school nurse may be checking those records and August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Schedule the wellness visits for your children before they’re in school, and snagging an appointment in their busy calendars gets harder. Wellness visits are also a smart and great way to teach your child about the importance of preventive medicine.
MOVE BACK THE BEDTIME AND WAKE-UP TIME NOW. It’s the dog days of summer, but soon it will be time for the school bell! Ease the transition by moving back the bedtime and wake-up time in 15-minute increments now, so the adjustment will be seamless when it comes time for school.
ORGANIZE YOUR CHILD’S WORK SPACE. Make sure the area your children do homework is organized, clean, and ready to go. A new desk lamp or bulletin board can easily revitalize the space. You’ll be thankful you’re already set when they lug home those five textbooks that need book covers on that first day.
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