Back to School: Top Tips for a Successful Year

Don't look now, but another school year is upon us 🙈 I know, I'm in denial, too. But I can no longer avoid the brand new backpacks filled with shiny new supplies ready to be thrown over three little shoulders 💕 We've enjoyed our summer, but I think we're all ready to get back into a routine.

Here are some of my top tips to help you get back into school mode and have a successful year 👇


GET ORGANIZED

With three kids in school - pre school, 2nd and 3rd grade, it's incredibly easy to get overwhelmed with important dates, activities etc surrending their school, sports and other activities 😳 So every time you open an email from a teacher or coach, have your phone handy and ready to add activities and reminders to your calendar. If you're not prepared to add to your calendar, don't open the email until you can, or mark the email as unread so you remember to go back to it and don't miss important dates.

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

And along these same lines, and a favorite of my engineer husband's, a little 5S for you: a place for everything and everything in its place. When you establish some ground rules for where backpacks, shoes, etc. get put when they walk in the door... where dirty clothes go at the end of the day, how things get left in the bathroom... and on and on, you'll have fewer days that require prayers to St. Anthony to help you find things. When you go to get something, you'll know exactly where to look because it has an "assigned seat!"

KEEP BREAKFAST SIMPLE

Rubbermaid containers found at Walmart

I struggle with this one! I work full time and we have to be out the door early, making a homemade breakfast difficult. I grew up eating homemade breakfast just about every day and want the same for me kids. But the reality of the situation is it's not always feasible. By keeping different cereals, granola bars, oatmeal, bowls, spoons and cups at eye level for them, they can do more on their own, saving time and teaching them responsibility 😊

Another time saver and way to add homemade items to their list of breakfast choices is by making your own homemade waffles, pancakes, muffins etc that you can freeze and they can pop in the toaster, or microwave 👍👍


CHOOSE CLOTHES THE NIGHT BEFORE

Letting your kids choose they clothes the night before saves time and eliminates fights in the morning since THEY chose the outfit. This also ties back into staying organized. If you have added important school activities to the calendar, you'll know the night before if they need to wear anything special, etc. the next day!

GO THROUGH BACKPACKS

... as soon as you get home!! Look for important papers, permission slips, etc and again be ready to add items to your calendar. Fill out any forms immediately if you can and put them right back in the backpack! Repeat this process in the morning about 10 minutes before you walk out the door. Make sure your kiddos aren't trying to bring anything to school you don't want them to - toys, candy, etc. 😊

And on a more serious note, with so many tragic stories about guns finding their way into backpacks, I implore you: Check your child's bag EVERY DAY ❤️ It's vital in maintaining your child's safety and the safety of others in their school.

KEEP AN OPEN DIALOGUE

One of the more important things, in my opinion, is keeping an open dialogue with your kiddos, their teachers and school staff. Talk to your kids about their day beyond "how was your day?" Ask instead questions like,"What was the best part of your day? What was the worst part of your day?
What made you laugh today?
What book did you get to read today? Who did you play with at recess? etc.

It's so important to communicate with your kids so they know they have a support system and come come to you with anything and everything! It's also important to communicate regularly with their teacher. If you have ANY concerns make sure you contact your child's teacher and stay on top of anything that you think could turn into a problem. They can't help your child if they don't know about the issue. You are your child's best advocate!

Stay positive. Take one day at a time. Breathe. Smile. And have a GREAT year ❤️


** Bonus Tip: keep a drawer full of healthy snacks within their reach that they can grab and toss in their backpack for a snack at school or for an after school snack. Try to avoid anything with peanuts, though, since a lot of schools have restrictions on nuts!