Five tips to get you back to school ready

By Courtney Warren
 

Summer flew by. I know that’s cliche and we always say it, but here we are again preparing to return to school. Your own children or grandchildren might already be back in their classrooms! However, it’s never too late to do these simple tasks to ensure your school year is off to a great start. 
 

1.     Clean the backpacks.
Hunt down and clean those backpacks! I am not a fan of buying a new backpack every year, so I try to grab a high quality LL Bean backpack when they go on sale. You can get them embroidered with your child’s name, and they last for years to come. I hunt it down, clean it out, and send it through the washer before letting it air dry in the sun. You can do the same with the lunchboxes…barring that your child didn’t leave it in the garage full of last year’s lunch.

2.     Set school year expectations.
If you’re like me and allowed your child to be a summer goblin with unlimited screens, indoor/outdoor access, and all the snacks, it’s time to reign it back in! Sit your child down, and have an age appropriate discussion about screen times, bed times, and morning prep, so you are all on the same page and ready to rock the new school year. For us, that conversation includes getting a bedtime routine established, making a fresh chore list, and having a discussion about no screen time during the school week. Expect tears! They’ll be just fine.

3.     Find the shoes.
Where are they? Are they clean? Do they still fit? Do we need to make a last minute order? What about the socks? Same questions. Do they match? Find them, and place them by the door.

4.     Lunches.
School lunch is probably my downfall. It’s so easy to toss a bajillion prepackaged items into her lunchbox and call it a day, but I know I can do better. Have a conversation about what school lunches will look like. What about after school snacks? Set up a place for those snacks and items, so they are easy to find and you’re not frantically searching the kitchen for some stale pretzels and Christmas napkins, praying the elementary teachers don’t see it and think you’ve lost your mind. Your child eats school lunch? Perfect! Find that water bottle, and have it ready to go for the school day.

5.     Take a breath. 
Life is about to get busy again! The school year is a brand new chapter. Whether your child loves school or hates it, you can set the tone for their school day and school year. Remember, it’s never too late to start the morning over if someone wakes up grouchy. It’s always a good day to have a good day.