Make Heading Back to School a Breeze

Can you believe that summer is nearly over? I am in complete denial that school is right around the corner. If you are like me you are dreading the end of summer. It’s time to start thinking about how to head back to school as easily as possible. Now is the time to start planning if you want to make going back to school easy.

Tip #1 - DON’T STRESS - easier said than done right?

School supplies, back to school clothes, the paperwork, last minute physicals… all things that can be overwhelming. Do what you can little by little. I encourage you to order your child’s school supplies through their school. I have found that this saves time and money. If that is not a possibility, I recommend ordering supplies online (Amazon, Target App, Walmart App, etc). This enables you to get the school-supply purchasing out of the way and will save your sanity. Using the online options still needs to be done sooner rather than later. If you wait too long you’ll miss the deals and some supplies will sell out quickly. Another tip to a smooth back-to-school is to check to see what paperwork you can complete digitally. If that is not an option, I recommend taking a few minutes to complete whatever paperwork is needed. Odds are your child(ren) is talking to friends and checking out their new classroom.  That way you don’t have to remember to complete it and put it in their backpack later. 

Tip #2 - No need to be fancy. 

If your child enjoys cold lunches, there is no need to go all out and make fancy cold lunches. Simply pack what makes them happy. Avoid trying to channel your Pinterest fantasies -  it is much more important that your child actually eats what you pack. Things like Uncrustables, carrot or celery sticks, yogurt tubes, pretzels, cheese cubes, graham crackers, snap peas, apple slices and tortilla roll ups are some of my kiddos favorites. Take your child shopping to help pick out stuff for their lunches. Get a good lunch box, pack what they can open and eat themselves, and reduce your stress by knowing your kiddo is enjoying their lunch! 

**Pro Tip - Practice opening and closing all items you plan to use in their lunch box. School lunches are super quick and there is typically just a few staff. Don’t have your kiddo waste their lunch waiting for help. 

Tip #3 - Practice makes…. Less stress?

About two weeks prior to school actually starting we begin our “practice”. For my family this means I start waking my sleepy heads up a little earlier each day so that way they aren’t completely shocked come day one and their bodies have some time to adjust. I also run a “trial day”. I  usually do this two or three days prior. We get up and act as if we are going to school. All the kids get up on time, changed, fed and packed up in the car. We drive our route to make sure we have timed everything out correctly. This helps me adjust schedules and the kids get a chance to see what the morning should look and feel like. 

**Pro tip - If you have littles, have them practice unbuckling and buckling themselves into their seats. Parent pick up lines are BRUTAL! Day one is not the day to learn how to do this. Trust me!  If you are new to the pick up line, reach out to a seasoned parent for helpful tips for your specific school. 

Tip #4 Enjoy the last day of summer! 

We have one rule on the last day of summer - Don’t talk about school! This is your kiddos last day of summer and the last thing they need to be worried about is school tomorrow. Go out, have fun, enjoy the extra time. Do whatever brings your family joy but whatever you do, do not talk about school! 

School is rapidly sneaking up on us. Now is time to get ready for the next amazing school year. Little by little you can take time to prepare for the transition. You got this!