I’m going to share a few of the things we like to do to get organized for a new school year. (I’m sorry I didn’t share any of these sooner but the end of summer just flew by at our house and we were scrambling to get it all together before school began this week).
Some things on the Back to School List:
- Clean out kids closets
- Deep clean kids bedrooms & bathrooms
- Clean out fridge & pantry
- Meal plan & prep for busy weeks ahead
- Back to school supplies (& extra supplies for school office / teachers)
- Fill out school forms
- Back to school shopping & budget
- Clean out cars
- Back to school pics
- Breakfast goodies for teachers 1st week of school
- Get school lunch stuff together
Back to school time is one of my favorites as it affords us all an opportunity to get back into the swing of things and re-establish some healthy routines that may have gone out the wayside (ahem) this summer.
As the kids have gotten older our back to school traditions have changed a bit. It’s gone from a family back to school celebration dinner at home with a family theme, crowns and gigantic cupcakes to a family dinner at the kids favorite sushi spot (no crowns or letter board family mottos allowed). ;) It has segued from one on one in store shopping & lunch dates to online shopping (within their predetermined budget/allowance - this gives them an opportunity to search for deals and stretch their back to school dollars or have to use their own savings). I also add on a fun outing with H to something he wants to do (typically the mountain bike park) and a nail salon date with S.
One of the things we do each year though is go over our family calendar - what is happening and when. How it is all going to happen and flow and what support we need to make it through the busy fall back to school season (chores, meal help, carpooling, etc.)
Also in this family meeting we go over screen time reminders, school calendars and schedules, lunch and dinner ideas and more. For our daughter in college we have a separate meeting about budgets, financial aid, course selection, apartment/dorm room needs, travel arrangements, etc.
One of the other things we do is help them clean out their closets/drawers/desks and donate things they no longer wear or don’t fit anymore. This also helps us figure out what everyone needs. We also make a list of sports/activity gear we may need to purchase or borrow.
I also recently read the tip about not scheduling anything else during the first 2 weeks of school than what is absolutely necessary to allow for proper time for adjustment and rest. LOVE this. And I failed at that this year. We have my mother in law visiting, we have a trip planned to get our daughter back to college, etc. There’s always next year. ;)
Here are a bunch of fun back to school ideas and teacher appreciation ideas on my Pinterest board here.
What are some of your back to school tips?
