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By Momo Fali
It’s that time of year again; time for early mornings, homework schedules and blisters from new shoes.
My children are in the fifth and first grades and I work at their school, so I have seen a lot of back-to-school jitters from kids and parents alike. Here are my tips for a stress-free transition to your new routine.
* Have your child meet his teacher before school begins. Being familiar with the only adult in the room will help him feel at ease and less likely to pee his pants because he was afraid to ask to go to the bathroom. Trust me.
* Buy your school supplies for next year as soon as they get marked down this fall. Young children consistently need the same things year in and year out. You will save a small fortune.
* If your child’s class has volunteer sign-ups, get there first and choose the easy stuff! I pick providing snacks over decorating for parties or making cookies. Those types of things can throw a wrench into a well-planned schedule; which can also throw a wrench into Mommy’s mood.
* There is nothing better you can do for your child than have her get a good night’s sleep and feed her a healthy breakfast. Cereal is fine if you are short on time, but throw in a cheese stick for some added protein. Her brain will thank you!
* If you pack your child’s lunch, write him a little note. A reminder that you’re thinking about him can make a rough day much better.
* Set out lunchboxes, stuff the backpacks and lay out clothes the night before. I even make sure my son’s glasses are in a certain spot so we won’t have to search for them in the morning.
Now, if I could only remember to do that with my car keys.
Do you have any tips to help make back-to-school less stressful?
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Some of it doesn’t work that way. I bought extra; the new supply list doesn’t match half of it. Every teacher in our school has their own way of doing things and it frustrates the heck out of me!
Mich | September 9th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
I’m sorry to hear that, Mich! I save so much money buying some of next year’s supplies in the fall. I bought my son’s backpack for $2.50 at Target last October!
Momo Fali | September 10th, 2009 at 12:12 am
I’m new to this - our daughter just started kindergarten this fall — but I bought a bunch of supplies at Target last week, for next year, and they were already on sale.
Nataly | September 10th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I usually purchase the basic supplies like pencils, crayons, markers while they are on sale for the up coming year. In addition, I make sure all bags including mines are next to the door the night before.
jaz | September 12th, 2009 at 3:05 am
My kids just started preschool; we used to have a nanny who bathed the kids in the morning, so the morning rush is pretty new to us.
I am using someone’s bright idea of having the kids dress in their school clothes after their evening bath. That leaves less to fuss about in the morning. Of course this won’t work forever, but at least while they are in the dawdling stage, it helps. I also put their shoes together with their socks in a way that hopefully helps them to get them onto the right feet . . . . Now if I could figure out how to motivate them to finish their breakfast within a reasonable time . . . .
SKL | September 14th, 2009 at 12:24 am