I know all you Mom's out there may not be looking forward to this, so let me pass on to you a few tips I have used to help make this time of year a little less stressful.

 

I started making school purchases early in August which helped in several different ways. The stores were less crowded, the selection was good and it helped stretch out the budget.

 

A lot of the office supply stores and I believe even the larger discount stores, now carry the list of items that the schools are requiring students to purchase by the first week. I suggest picking up these lists first and check at home to see what you already have. Then make your own list of what is NEEDED, not wanted, especially if you are buying for several children, to avoid buying in duplicate.

 

For all the SPECIAL papers that you will want to keep during the school year for memory sake, I highly recommend some sort of clear container for each child and labeled with their name. If you find it hard to decide on what to keep or not to keep of your child's work,collect what you like, then make it a point to go through them either at the winter break and or during the summer months,or scrapbook them at this time. By doing this you will start the next school year with an empty container.

Here is another tip that I found very helpful for when the papers come home. Write on each paper the age of your child, the year, their grade, and if you want, their teachers name. Trust me, in a couple of years you will forget this information.

 

One other helpful tool I suggest to my clients, is to have what I call "The Family Book". In this book you can keep all the schedules, sporting and school events, lunch menus, school calendar, phone directory and any other important papers your children bring home. I used a three ring binder, sheet protectors and tab dividers to give each child his own section. This is a great place to also keep the family calendar of events.

If you have children who attend different schools, perhaps giving each child there own book would be easier.

 

On a personal note, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on school nights, when we didn't have after school or evening functions, we had "quiet hour". This was the time when we turned off the TV and music. Now you would also have to include cell phones and video games. It was a perfect time for my son to get homework done and it gave me a chance to unwind from work or catch up with household chores. Most nights we would continue this until bedtime. We were able to get so much more done without the distraction.

 

I hope this helps you make the transition from relaxed summer vacation to busy school year a little bit better.

 

Live Simply,

Joan