When going back to school, keep these tips, tricks, and reminders in your back pocket to help you make it through the semester (and school year).
- Keep your child’s teachers on your good side (because they want you on their good side, too). Follow-up with emails and other communications from teachers and be an active participant in your child’s schooling. But know, sometimes staying on the good side of your child’s teachers means letting them do their job. Resist the urge to be a helicopter parent.
- Create a central calendar with every family member’s “school” schedule. Include practice schedules, game, major due dates and other important notes. Put the calendar on the fridge, by the front door or in a location that everyone sees.
- Buy school and lunch supplies in large quantities with other families. Check out the farmer’s markets on the weekend to see what’s fresh and visit local shops that carry school supplies, bundle your buys and split the bill.
- Make the morning rush less rushed. Before you and your children go to bed at night, be sure backpacks are by the door, clothes are picked out and any homework or other paperwork has been reviewed, signed and ready to turn in.
- Streamline the school week, overall. To make yourself less crazed, have a meal plan for the week and let the family know the plan before the week begins (now that you have a central calendar). This (should) help avoid the age-old question of, “what’s for dinner?”
Remember to have fun. Just like you, at the end of a school week, your children are tired. Allow room for down time. For everybody.
What other tips do you have? Leave us a note in the comments.