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5 Back to School Tips for Mom

September 7, 2019 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

It comes around once a year, every year. We’re talking about the kids going back to school and all of the chores, responsibilities, and preparations that go along with it. Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on back to school tips. Our tips will reduce the frustration that usually accompanies the hustle and bustle of back to school. We’re offering a few helpful suggestions to assist in organizing and getting you started early might be of service:

Get School Supplies

Getting school supplies should be at the top of most people’s list. But, you would be surprised at how many folks wait until the last minute to get even the basic essentials. This includes writing tools, paper, folders, and backpacks. By waiting so late a lot of supply stores are barren. And, you really aren’t getting quality products for your child. That may not be the way that we want to start off their school year.

Set Aside Time to Work on Assignments

One good way to get your child back into the swing of doing homework is by giving them small assignments before school starts. This will gradually increase a few minutes every week. By the time they are back in class it’s not such a shock to their system.

Setting up a dedicated work station that they will use throughout the year is also a good idea too. Children have a way of falling out of the habit of learning and concentrating over the summer. The sooner they can get back into the routine, the easier the beginning of the school year becomes.

Establish a Routine and Set a Bedtime

So, we suggest starting it at least a week (and preferably two) before the first day of school. This includes everything from taking a bath to what point the TV or devices are turned off. We suggest you start at least an hour before their designated bedtime. Blue screens have been known to hinder melatonin production in the brain. It becomes a robber of a much needed natural sleep aid.

Getting a good night’s rest is vital for a child. For general reference: preschoolers need ten to thirteen hours of sleep, school age children need nine to eleven hours, and teenagers need eight to ten.

Create Positive Habits

When you get a routine going, positive habits can and should be instituted as well. Getting up early, eating a healthy breakfast, taking care of a few chores, and any other beneficial activities and recreations can be introduced.

Take the Time to Address any Anxiety or Stress

Don’t let the urgency of the season create an unnecessary strain on the emotional well being of your child. Sit down with him or her and talk about anything that may be bothering them. Furthermore, ask them what’s on their minds. The start of a new year can be quite scary for many children. And, it’s common for them to be concerned about meeting new people and making friends.

Keep the above back to school tips in mind, and your child will be sure to have a great, uneventful return to school.

6 Tips to Take the Stress Out of School Mornings

September 25, 2018 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Chaos can lead to a stressful morning. Who needs to be stressed out at 8:00 am on school mornings. I have found that organization is key to eliminating school morning stress. As a result, I take preventive measures to ensure school mornings are pleasant. Keeping the environment positive takes the stress out of my mornings:

Pack lunches the night before – I have found that packing lunches before bed saves so much time. I pack juice boxes, apples/bananas, and any other items that won’t get soggy at night. Place the lunch box in the refrigerator. That leaves making sandwiches in the morning. Sip a cup of coffee or check out the news with your extra time.

Give kids their bath the night before – Getting kids up on school mornings can be a major effort. I know it is with my granddaughter. So, I have found giving them a bath or having teens shower the night before eliminates struggles in the morning. Having them brushing their teeth, washing their face and hands and getting dressed is so much easier.

Get clothes and essentials out the night before – Nothing causes more arguments in the morning than not being able to find shoes, disagreements on clothing and not being able to find book bags. Gather shoes, book bags and anything else needed as well. I line up the book bags/back packs and lunches so all they have to do is grab them on the way out the door.

Sign any papers the night before – Read and sign any papers and place them in the kid’s book bags the night before.

Distribute lunch money or fees the night before – Additionally, hand any money that needed for lunches, snacks or book fairs the night before. I place the money in envelopes, and mark each with the teacher’s name. I also include what the money is for and than place the envelopes in the book bags.

Warm the car on cold mornings – Having your kids complaining about being cold on school mornings is not the way you want them to start the day or you. Having them toasty warm when they reach student drop off is the way to go.

These tips have worked great for me when I have my grandchildren on school days. It leaves them with enough time to watch cartoons or play on their electronics before I have to shuffle them out the door. And eliminates head aches and stress for me.

Filed Under: Organization, Parenting Tips Tagged With: back to school tips, organization tips, school tips

6 Tips For Purchasing School Supplies

August 4, 2015 by Rhonda Gales

Summer is just about over and the kids will soon be returning to school. Where did the time go? Backpacks, school supplies, and clothing will be needed for the upcoming school year. Parents will be heading out to stock up on school supplies. Here are a few parenting tips on shopping for school supplies.

1. Make a list of the needed supplies – Check your child’s school site for a list of needed supplies for the upcoming year. Many schools provide a list of the school supplies needed for the upcoming year as well to your local Kmart, Wal-Mart, Office Max etc. Be sure to add extra items for homework and additional week-end/tutoring sessions. You can save money by not guessing about what is needed or having to make an additional trip to the store because you omitted items.

2. Take inventory of supplies from last year purchases – Before you go shopping for school supplies, check your supplies from last year. This will ensure you won’t buy duplicate or unnecessary items when you head to the store. You can spend that money on other items.

3. Do your homework – Check ads for the best deals. Head to your local Dollar Store first and eliminate as many items as possible. You can purchase quality crayons, pencils, pencil cases, sharpeners and inexpensive notebooks for practicing math problems etc. here.

4. Purchase quality items – Purchase quality book bags and electronics. Trust me, you will end up spending the money again if you don’t purchase quality items. Check online stores like Best Buy, Amazon, Dell, HP etc. for great deals on electronics and look for free shipping sites. I purchased a Michael Jordan book bag for my grandson last year. He will carry it for years before I have to purchase another.

5. Take the student with you – Getting the children involved helps eliminate items that they may be unhappy with. And, it also gets them involved in the back to school process. If the student doesn’t want to go along, ask them for any specific items they may want.

6. BOGO is your friend – Consider BOGO when shopping for school supplies. You will use the item later in the year I guarantee it. So, go ahead and indulge. The item may not be BOGO later in the year.

You may want to purchase a storage bin to house school supplies for the upcoming year. Items will be easy to track and access when needed too. What tips can you add to the list?

You may also like: Back To School Shopping Tips

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: back to school shopping tips, back to school tips, budget shopping

8 Back To School Shopping Tips

August 12, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

It’s time for the kids to head Back to school! Parents will be heading to the malls and other stores for back to school clothes, book bags, lunch boxes, and paper supplies. The thought can make you feel overwhelmed? Don’t fret, we sharing parenting tips on back to school shopping tips to help you prepare for the big event.

back to school tips, back to school shopping tips

First set a budget. Next, seek out back to school bargains. Most importantly, use our back to school shopping tips for ultimate savings. Also, if you’re wondering how to stay on track with your budget? A list will keep you on track and help you to not make purchases that your really don’t need. Additionally, here are a few more back to school shopping tips:

Check Your Child’s Closet Before You Shop – Before you head to the store, check to see if your child has clothing that can be used or passed down. A new shirt/tee can dress up an old pair of jeans. A scarf can dress up an old shirt. A new pair of shoes will dress up everything!
Head to the Thrift Stores – Thrift stores are excellent places to find bargains on jeans, tees, coats and more.
Recycle Old Jeans – If your daughter can still wear jeans from last year get creative. Add a design with jewels or paint. Better yet, distress them. You can turn the old into new and updated look for the year. Furthermore, make it a mother-daughter project.
Don’t make large purchases – Next, don’t purchase everything at once. It may save on time, but you will most likely spend more if you’re not purchasing sale items. Set aside several week-ends to shop. Especially, when you have checked out upcoming sales ads.
Look for Sales and BOGO deals – Also, scour your local paper for upcoming sales. Only purchase items that are on sale and start shopping early for the best deals.
Shop at Dollar Stores – Crayola Crayons, notebook paper, notebooks, rulers, sandwich cases etc. can be found for a bargain. Ollie’s, Big Lots, Gabriel Brothers etc. should be on your shopping list for these products as well. Check Ollie’s and Big Lots for good deals on school supplies too. I’ve found great deals at both.
Head to the Clearance and Sale Racks – I stocked up on end of season tees and jeans this week-end for my little man. Target and Old Navy have great sales on jeans. You can find good deals at Gap, Children’s Place, and Polo too.
Check Out Deals On-line – Finally, you can save on time and gas expense shopping on line. Old Navy, Target, and Cookies Kids are great places to shop. I look for sites that will ship for free.