Greetings!
Thanks so much to the many of you who responded to last month's enewsletter! I heard from more of you with that article than I have in over 5 years.
You shared your own stories and I appreciate your willingness to be so open and honest. It's amazing what can happen when individuals honor their authentic selves. Perhaps some other local institutions can take the lead from that; that's all I'll say about that. :)
Each day I learn more and more about how incredible our local community truly is...keep up the great work everyone!
Simply,
Jessica Dolan
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| Seriously?! It's that time again? | |
Save yourself some last minute anxiety and feelings of overwhelm by tackling back to school tasks right now. If you do it now you can relax and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Get off on the right foot with getting organized for back to school and the shift life will take when this happens.
It's easier than you think to find organizing systems that work for you and your children.
Here's a countdown checklist that you may find helpful:
4 Weeks Out (this week): Take Stock
- Go through closets and assess what is truly needed for the new school year. If your kids are old enough to dress themselves, they are old enough to have a hand in helping too. You teach them valuable lessons in staying organized and knowing when to let go. Donate clothing you don't want to a local charity or sell to a consignment store or event like Kid to Kid or Rugrats Resale.
- Take stock of what supplies you have hidden around the house. We have learned that just about all our clients have plenty of school and office supplies in their very own homes; it's just scattered about. And instead of looking for the items they just go out and buy more. Please don't do this!!! Take just a few minutes to see what you actually have...saves you money, helps save the planet and will create some free space in your home.
- Scheduling, activities, fun...oh my! As school begins I can see the panic wash across my clients faces as the calendar starts filling up.
It's okay...take a deep breath. Remember, you are in control. You have the ability to make decisions on what you or your family does. Keep an end goal in mind when scheduling your activities. Is the goal to have more family time? Is it to get the kids into as many sports as possible? Whatever it is, get clear on it and then make it happen.
Talk with a spouse or partner about the best to coordinate everything. For some families a wall calendar at home still works best. For many others, using Google Calendar or other calendar sharing apps work well too.
3 Weeks Out (next week): Planning
- If you are going to use a wall calendar of sorts, it would be wise to start writing down dates now. Get your kids in the habit of writing down their own activities (including days there is no school). Each child can have their own color and should also make sure to have their activities noted in their own calendar.
I believe most school districts now have all calendars available on their websites.
Set aside time each week to update and revise any necessary dates.
Provide a small reward for a job well done. This includes you too!
2 Weeks Out: Start Fresh!
- Assign a cleaning day (or half day) and tackle kids rooms plus any school related shared spaces.
- Designate a "drop zone" for each child. Keep in mind their natural tendacies and do your best to work with them, not fight them. Labels work well for kids.
- Select one zone to keep track of all important school papers (permission slips, item needing to be signed and returned, etc)
1 Week Out: Practice
- Start practicing your school schedule. Get kids on the early to bed and early to rise schedule now to make the transition easier when it really counts. A few grumbles will be expected, but you'll be better for it when school actually starts.
- Practice your morning routines and get everyone in the habit of getting ready the night before. Lay out your clothing and put backpacks in their respective school zone making sure all papers are already inside.
- Get your food list ready! Sit down with your children and ask them what they like. Develop a mutually agreeable menu and then hit the store.
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