Back to School Cool: Helpful Tips for Parents

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It’s that time of year again,when  some parents start dancing randomly around the house while carrying the new school calendar and children may groan, often and loudly; Back To School!

The week before and the week of children return to school can be an exciting, albeit stressful time. Here are some helpful tips to start the year off on the right foot.

 

⇒Start pushing bedtime up an hour per night the week before school starts. This makes the early bed times more of a transition versus a shock from the lazy days of summer. This also gives you valuable time to connect with your children through short conversations and bedtime stories. Because life always seems to be life, the additional quiet in your home may also give you an opportunity to share time with your spouse. Whether it is having a conversation void of anything related to children, watching a movie together or simply just sitting in solitude with your spouse and holding times…solid relationships require effort.

 

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 ⇒Tax Free weekends are taking place within the next two weeks in many states. Stock up on school supplies, clothing and select electronics (desk top computers, laptop, calculators, etc.) during this weekend and save those extra dollars. You can even use the money that would normally go towards tax to open up a 509 Savings Plan or a Savings Account for your children’s college fund. Check with your bank for more details on both options.

 

⇒Plan weekly or monthly dinners and cook a little bit extra. Then use the leftovers in your child’s lunch box for the week. All there is left to do is add fresh fruit or vegetables and their favorite treat. Dinner and Lunch is done in a snap, saving you time during those potentially hectic mornings. (P.S. Don’t forget to add notes to your children’s lunch boxes letting them know they are special. P.S.S.- You can add love notes to your spouse’s lunch box, as well.)

 

⇒Putting together outfits for the week is also a time saver. In anticipation that children will and do change their minds, have them pick out their clothing with you.  Let them add their own personal style with accessories and color choices.  Place the outfits on hangers in the closet for easy access for your child and watch how quickly they are up, dressed and giving you a mini-fashion show to boot.

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 ⇒Create a central location in your home for all Book Bags, Lunch Boxes, Homework Folders, Emergent Reader Booklets and Permission Slips. This way, when you or your child is looking for these items right before you have to rush out the door to catch the school bus or take them to school, everything is right where you can find it. No more tearing the house apart looking for the proverbial dog that ate the homework.

 

Remember with school starting, it means more cars, daycare buses/vans and school buses on the roads. Please be mindful of the children and take your time navigating the streets on your way to your destination.

 

Here’s to a successful 2015 school year!