The Working Mom’s Back to School Tips
It’s that time of year again where schedules start to become busy and time seems to be slipping away. It is time for the kids to head back to school! Here are five tips that I’ve found that help keep my family semi-organized during this busy time. A new school year tends to bring a mix of emotions. By creating a few new organizational ideas for your home, hopefully it will help you transition smoothly into this new school year!
- Get Organized: How are you going to be collecting your kid’s important papers? Do you have a specific spot where they unload their backpacks at the end of the day? Have a designated folder, “in-box”, or cubby for your child to place their papers. This helps things not go missing or unnoticed. Check out this idea Have clipboards next to your fridge! Everyone knows where to put their papers each day and where to find papers to turn in the next day.
- Freeze Meals: Pick out a day once a week/ bi-weekly/ monthly where you make meals to put in your freezer. Pull them out once in a while for a homemade meal that is quick and easy!
- Create a Routine: Creating routine helps your child know what they should expect every night. Here are a few things that we try to do each night that helps us out in the mornings! Each night pick out your child’s outfit with them. Your child is still helping with the clothes picking process while eliminating school morning stress for you. Try to do bath time at night; we usually do this right before we tuck them in. It helps calm them down and they know that as soon as their baths are done then it is time to hit the sheets! This routine is not only beneficial for the kids, but having a set routine also allows the parents to have time at night to get things done and relax before the next day.
- Make a Schedule: Find a calendar that works great for your family. Whether it needs to be an hour-to-hour schedule, a weekly schedule or a monthly one. Put this in a central location where everyone can see what is going on and add in their activities as they come.
- Set out a Checklist: What are the things that you want your kids to get done each day? Put these expectations on a fun list for them. Some things that we have on ours is: homework completed, reading time, make bed, & pick up toys. Let your kids mark off their accomplished items as they complete them! This will give them a sense of accomplishment each day as well as teach them responsibility for their daily chores.