7 Tips for Back to School Preparation

Back to school Preparation!We have just a few weeks of summer left and I have mixed feelings. I like the laid-back ease of summer, the  flexibility for kids to stay up late and sleep in a little later. It's also nice to have a routine when school starts. Plus I like the cooler weather.I'm thinking about how I'm going to get organized and prepared for the kids and myself for the new school year. My husband no longer works out of the home and won't be able to help get the kids to and from school like he has been doing for the last several years. Basically, I'll be on my own. Yikes! We have three kids at three different schools!So here are my tips, and how I'm going to get organized and prepared for the school year. Now don't hate me because you think I've got it all together because I don't. I'm not an expert at this I just know that if I'm going to run a business and a household I've got to get some things in order. At least I'll try!1. Go through the current clothing and donate anything in good conditionWe did this at the beginning of summer but it's a good idea to do it again. The kids will make a list of the items that they need and I will make a list of the best sales. I'll give my teenagers a budget and they can buy whatever clothing they want; hopefully the list will guide them. The only rule is that they have to spend the money on clothing not toys or jewelry and it all has to be appropriate of course. I guess that's two rules. This will be a good opportunity for them to learn to budget and get the most for their money. They will also learn what needs are vs wants. My tween son will have some help from me. He isn't much into shopping for clothes...yet!2. School supply shoppingMy daughter enjoys shopping for school supplies but my sons don't. So she and I will shop for the needed classroom items and some other things to keep at home. She's the best shopping buddy!3. Create a homework stationWe have a built in desk in our home where we will set up a homework station. You can create a homework station anywhere in your house such as the kitchen, dining room, living room or even a child's bedroom. They just need a space where they can go to find the supplies that they need as well as a place to keep projects that they are working on.I will include the following items at the homework station:1. Calendar with school holidays, vacations and upcoming eventsThe plan is to get my kids to check the calendar for birthdays and school holidays so they can do the "count down" to the anticipated event without my help.2. Pencils, paper, pens, erasers, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, and tapeIf your house is like my house then you're always looking for your scotch tape and then you find it in your kid's room on the floor and it's all gone! I will buy extra tape for my stash.I found this great magnetic board made from an auto drip pan from UpCrafter.com, you can see the blog post here. I purchased my drip pan from Walmart and I will let the kids make cups to hold markers and colored pencils and such. I will share photos when it's complete. :)4.Weekly chore chartI will also include a weekly chore chart for each child. It's much easier when the kids can resort to a printed chart than coming to ask me what their chores are. Half of the time I don't remember what their chores are! These charts will be hung in the homework station.5. List of lunch and snack foodsEach child will make a list of his and her favorite lunch items and snack items. This will make my grocery shopping streamlined and more efficient. There's nothing more frustrating than buying food you think the kids will eat and then they end up bringing it home or throwing it away. And, they won't be able to complain about not having good lunch options because they made the list, not me.6. Dinner ideasWhile we are talking about food, I will ask the kids to each make a list of their five favorite dinners. I don't know about you, but I do not like to cook. At the end of a long day I do not want to stand at the stove and cook up a meal that half my family will not eat. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? It's so much more fulfilling when the kids eat what I take time to cook. The best way to figure this out is to have them look through cook books or make a list of the things that I have cooked in the past that they really enjoy.7. Goal settingThis is more about organizing thoughts than organizing things. I Think it's important to organize thoughts and objectives and goals as well as clothing and school supplies. This also gives me a chance to get to know my kids at a deeper level. What character traits do they want to work on? Do they want to succeed in a certain academic area? Let's have a discussion and write it all down then at the end of the year we can take a look to see if they have met their goals.Then it's my turn to go through my closet and makeup drawer. I'm sure I have things to organize as well. And of course, I will have some goals for the school year, too!What do you do to get ready for the school year?Cheers to good preparation and the kids going back to school!Holly