Getting back into the routine of school and work can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve put together these tips that will make your kids’ first day a breeze!
Table of Contents
Back to School Shopping & Errands
- Get the lists of school supplies, books and technology your kids will need. & be sure to cross out anything you already have before going shopping.
- Go through their clothes and get rid of things that no longer fit, is worn down, or they no longer like.
- Make sure their shoes still fits, if not take them out for shoe shopping too!
- Choose a time when no one else is out shopping for back to school shopping. We always go shopping two weeks before school starts, and usually go either in the mornings or after dinner.
- If your budget allows it, buy a few extra suggested items for your child’s classroom (ask the teacher what they need, this can be things like kleenex, clorox wipes, etc.)
- After shopping, be sure to pack the supplies in their backpacks so they are all together and ready – pack up everything from crayons to calculators
- Buy a water bottle and label it so kids can increase their water consumption and aren’t sharing germs
- Make sure they’re dressed for success by picking out their favorite outfits in advance so there won’t be any last minute stress.
- Get the kids haircuts and styled before school starts too if they need it!
Getting back to Early Mornings
- Set your clocks forward 10 minutes. This makes it easier to be on time.
- Start going to bed earlier at least a week ahead of time. Start with 30 minutes every day, until you reach your desired bedtime
- Try getting the kids up earlier every day until they are up early enough to be ready for school.
- Drink water as soon as you wake up so that you can wake up easier.
- Try using an alarm app like SleepCycle to wake up easier. I love this app because it wakes you up when you are in your light sleep and it makes it so much easier to get up.
- Use this printable checklist to establish a regular morning routine.
- Try making an easy breakfast like pancakes or waffles with fruit ahead of time if you think your morning is going to start off hectic – just grab-and-go for everyone when it’s time for school!
Get your Schedule Sorted Out
- Go to your school’s website and download their annual calendar and mark down all the important dates
- Vacations, early dismissals, first and last day of school etc.
- Also download the school’s bell schedule so you know exactly when school starts and ends, and you can plan accordingly!
- If you use Google Calendar, you can create a sub-calendar called School and put in when school starts, ends, and if you want to know when their lunches are.
- When inputting these events be sure to set up notifications for them as well and leave plenty of buffer room. For me, even though my kids get out of school at 1:55, I set up an hour reminder and another 30 minute reminder so I have plenty of time to get ready, drive there and walk across the park in order to pick them up on time.
- Plan out your schedule for what you will be getting done while home. Will you run errands once a week? Will you work? Will you have other little ones home with you? Try to decide what you will be doing during those hours to make sure you are using your time wisely.
- If you have after school activities to do, be sure to input those into your calendar as well.
Figure out Lunch Plans
- Decide if you will be buying lunch or packing a lunch for the kids and plan accordingly
- If you are packing lunches…
- pack their lunch boxes before going to bed.
- Shop for bulk packaged snacks that can be easily added to lunch bags
- Organize your fridge so the lunch items are easy to get to
- If you are buying lunch…
- teach them to make sure your kids know how to open a milk carton and packaging
- Get the school’s lunch menu so you can see what they will be having each day
Getting the Home Organized for Back to School Season
- Revamp your home organization setup to be more kid-friendly.
- Create a dedicated space for your kids to store their school supplies and technology, this can be a desk or just a few boxes.
- Help your kids develop a filing system for organizing their documents for each class.
- Try hanging low hooks to make it easy for younger children to hang up their coats and backpacks.
- Repurpose and relabel plastic tubs to organize all school supplies.
- Organize the kids closets and label them so they know exactly where all their clothes are.
After School Routines & Screen Time Rules
- Review your rules about screen time for the school year. When are they allowed to play games and how long?
- Create a list of routines and chores for things they must do before playing games or watching TV.
- Rethink over your routines and make sure everyone knows what to expect and when. Check out these 5 routines for every stay at home mom for more ideas.
- When will they have to do homework? I always make the kids do homework after a quick snack, when they get home so that they are still “school mode”. This also makes sure they don’t forget and try to do it just before bedtime.
Do Something Fun
- Before Summer is over, do one last fun family activity together
- We are planning one last camping weekend away to de-stress and enjoy before school starts next week
- This will help diffuse this stressful time of year for the whole family
Be COVID ready
- Buy several cloth masks so you can wash masks every day
- Label your children’s items so no one is sharing. I love using these Avery labels.
- Make a small COVID kit for your child that includes a hand sanitizer, an extra mask and wipes.
- Make sure kids know how to properly wash hands
- Let the kids know about the changes to expect during school now
Now it’s your turn- share with us what back to school hacks work best for your family via the comment section or emailing us at [email protected].
Read my other family blog posts here:
- Back to School Routine Success Tips
- Free Printable Homeschool Planner for Distance Learning
- 5 Routines Every Stay-at-Home-Mom Needs
- How to Get Kids to Help with Laundry & Other Chores with Free Closet/Dresser Organization Labels
PIN FOR LATER
Thank you for these tips! As a single mom, the back-to-school season is so chaotic, and I definitely need to prep our schedule and organize my kids homework stations. One thing I have done to prepare is deep clean the house, and we even got a carpet cleaning. I definitely agree that a clean and organized home helps during this transition!