Healthy Family
Back-to-school season doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Check out these steps for taking the stress out of back-to-school season!
In many ways, it feels as if the summer just began, but the back-to-school season is already upon us!
To be completely transparent, I am ready for my children to start school, as they have been out since mid-May! However, we still have another few weeks until they go back.
Back-to-school stress is often a common theme among parents, but it doesn’t have to be! With a little foresight and planning, you can take the stress out of the back-to-school season.
5 Steps for Taking the Stress Out of Back-to-School Season
1. Get back-to-school shopping done early.
Back-to-school sales are already in full swing in many stores, and now is the time to stock up on pencils, notebooks, paper, crayons, markers, and more. If you’re homeschooling, here are four school essentials to get ahead of time!
If your school has not yet issued a supplies list, you can estimate what your child may need. Even if you don’t end up using the supplies you scored for rock bottom prices in your child’s classroom, you can always use them to stock your arts and crafts closet at home or donate to a teacher.
You can even shop for college and school supplies online now, which makes it even easier. Sometimes the prices aren’t as good on school supplies, so just watch out for that.
2. Plan ahead for school clothes.
Once upon a time, I sent one of my children to preschool without any underwear. I didn’t realize she wasn’t wearing panties until I picked her up and she whispered in my ear: “Mommy! You forgot to put panties on me today!”
Don’t make my same mistake! Set out of pair of undies the night before, and make sure to check on Junior as he heads out the door.
No one wants their child to go commando to kindergarten! Believe me, your children will one day thank you for making sure they have this extra comfort!
It helps me to lay out my children’s entire outfits the night before, which makes it easy for them to dress themselves the next morning.
My older two girls wear school uniforms. A few weeks before school starts, I will take inventory of whether or not I have enough uniforms, and I will make a shopping list of the things I still need. This includes getting proper embroidery of the school logo, etc.
Don’t forget to plan for shoes, socks, and accessories as well!
3. Stock your kitchen for school lunch essentials.
Yes, there are some foods, like produce, that you will not be able to purchase until a few days before school starts, but it’s not too early to stock up on lunch meat to freeze, fruit or applesauce cups, and snack food items. Check out this list of 25 resources for packed lunch inspiration to give you some good ideas for the school year ahead.
As well, inspect your child’s lunch box and thermos to see if they will last another school year. If not, go ahead and purchase new lunch supplies. (Here are my favorite reusable lunch supplies!)
4. Get your kids on a school schedule.
One reason I am so eager for school to start back is because I am longing to be back into a better routine!
Each week has been different for us this summer: There have been weeks where we have all stayed at home, weeks where the girls had camp or vacation Bible school, weeks of swimming lessons, weeks of vacation. I am just ready for each week to look the same!
Typically, my husband and I allow our children to stay up a little later during the summer months and to sleep in later as well. This will all change in a few weeks, when they return to school.
Instead of waiting until the night before to get back into the school schedule habit, opt to start back into this routine a few weeks early.
5. Reward yourself with some self-care time.
Summers at home are not for the faint of heart. There’s the heat (especially if you live in the South, like I do!), there’s the mosquitoes, there’s the sunscreen and sunburns.
Before the rush of the school year is upon you, take a little time for yourself.
I find that a little self-care for Mama makes me a better parent to my children. There is no guilt in taking care of yourself! And self care doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some ways to save money on your favorite “me time” activities.
With a little preparation and foresight, you’ll be ready to head into the school year with less stress and anxiety. You can beat the back-to-school blues before they even begin!
Most of all, mama, relax. You’ve got this!
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
I am SO ready for us to have a better rhythm to our days too! Especially since summer also meant a newborn for us. So just survival and getting by the best we could. We will be doing school at home, but I am ready to try to get us more scheduled and give my kids a little more structure soon. I think the most important thing for me is to make it a priority to plan for planning mornings once a week and to get up before my kids so that I will be more alert when they wake up.
Aimee
Great tips! The Children’s Place recently had a 50% off sale that included free shipping so I stocked up on some fresh school outfits for my son. I ended up paying consignment prices for brand-new clothes.
I’m with you on not waiting till the last minute to buy school supplies. We’ve had his for several weeks and it has brought me much peace of mind not having to plan shopping around when my husband will be home.
Becca
So funny about the undies. When my little guy was younger he used to wear two pairs – rather than take off the pair from the day before he’d pull fresh undies on over them. Ewwww!
Here, they sent the list home about a couple of weeks before the end of school; you cross off what you don’t need, and send the list back, and then it’s sent to a local office supply store; they fill the order, and then you pick it up about a week before school starts. My kids go to a small school, with only a handful of teachers, so it’s a safe bet that the list my daughter got when she started 4th grade will be the same list my son will need in two years’ time when he starts 4th grade. So, I keep the lists, and when things go on clearance at the end of the Back to School period, I stock up on what we need. That saves a lot of money over getting everything off the school list! Extra school supplies live in a tub in the shed. (Extra school supplies also come in handy for stocking stuffers or Samaritan’s Purse shoeboxes.)
All schools here (except Waldorf schools) have uniforms. I love uniforms. The pieces for public school tend to be very cheap – $2 for new shirts, $5 for pants, etc. Even cheaper if you wait until the clearance sales – a friend of mine once picked up shirts for 15 cents each! Our school also has a ‘swaps’ table where you can drop off pieces that no longer fit your kids and pick up pieces in a size up. This also saves a lot of money. I always pick up a few new pieces; but a lot of their uniforms are second-hand.