Back to School!

You know it’s coming, right? There is no way to avoid it even if we wanted to. That’s right, it’s time to start preparing for BACK TO SCHOOL! For me that means getting schedules back on track, getting the kids to bed earlier and earlier and of course, lots and lots of shopping. My kids go to a public school with no uniforms so for us that means we need to shop for clothing, shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, school supplies and I know I am probably missing something. I have a system that I have been using for the last couple of years to make this whole back to school process easier and it has worked very well for our family.

Here are my favorite back to school tips for making this transition less stressful:

• Adjust our schedules - My big kids are older (11 and 14) and during the summer we tend to be pretty relaxed about their bedtimes, but about three weeks before school starts we start to work on getting our routines back on track. In order to make it easier, I set at 10 o’clock and stick to it strictly for the first week, and I go up a half hour each week so that by the time school begins we are firmly back to our 9:00 bedtime routine. During the last week I also start setting the alarm clock for the same time that they will need to wake up for school so they are ready to start their morning routine.
• Check out their new school info. It’s always a good idea to get an idea of your child’s school year ahead. Do they have a new teacher? A new schedule? Will they be riding a different bus this year? All of these things can cause stress for little ones, so be sure and gather as much information as you can so that you can prepare them for the changes ahead.
• Schedule doc appointments. It’s always good to get doctor and dentist appointments done during the summertime so the kids don’t have to miss school. Additionally, if your child is older and they play sports, they will need to go to the doctor for a sports physical so be sure to make those appointments and get it done in advance.
• Go through their closets - Let’s face it, no one wants to spend a fortune on all new wardrobes for our children. The reality is, unless your child has had a major growth spurt over the last 3 months, you very likely don’t need to. Go through their closets to see what they still have and what you can get rid of. Then grab a select few pieces that they actually need that will pair well with what they already have.
• Get school supply lists. Now that you know what you need for clothes for the kids, you need to know what supplies they need to. Go to the school’s website and print out a supply sheet for your child’s grade and go off of that. Don’t forget that all students can’t afford all that they need so if you have the ability to buy extras, please do.
• Time to shop. Check out your local office store, or big box store the best deals on school supplies, try out your favorite clothing stores and upscale thrift shops for clothes shopping, and definitely check out Sassafrass for cute backpacks and lunch bags. Here are a few of my favorites:
  • vinyl duck lunch bag - our lunch bag is lightly insulated and can be hand-carried or slung over the shoulder with the adjustable nylon strap.
  • vinyl duck pull-along backpacks - our adorable vinyl bags are back by popular demand! the bag has adjustable padded straps with a retractable trolley.
  • These vinyl bags come in frog and ladybug designs too!
• Have fun. One other thing that I am always sure to do is to make sure that the last several weeks of summer are filled with fun activities that the family does together because I like the idea of their most recent summertime memories being good ones. The fact is that we are all very busy with work, kids, life and everything that comes between, so it’s easy to let these summer months pass us by without making memories, but it is important that we do just that, make memories!

Make sure you are also feeding your kids nice, healthy foods for lunch and breakfast, especially during back to school and throughout the school. A child who eats healthy at home is able to focus better at school. Check out Pinterest for lots of awesome ideas.

I also wanted to mention that while you are here at Sassafrass, checking out our cute backpacks and lunch bags, don’t forget to take a look at the adorable Animal Stools that have arrived! These are seriously my favorite and would make such a cute addition to any kids room, playroom or even living room!