Back to School Groove

By Ann Springer

School has already commenced in some parts of the country, while others are still preparing for the big day. Returning to the school routine is both a great and dreadful day in many households. It marks the end of the fun summer but also the beginning of a fresh school year full of possibilities.

The back-to-school ritual is also a time that requires a lot of purchasing and preparing, but with the right

preparation you can save both time and money. The smell of freshly picked apples and the sight of school supplies can excite us for the commencement of a new school year, but if we’re not ready for it, it will overwhelm us and squelch us of our energy.

Here are some of the things you can do to prepare for that day that is an American tradition: The First Day of School. Even if you’ve already starting hitting the books again you can still take these steps to make sure the rest of the year goes smoothly.

1. Assess and take inventory. I take stock of every single item of clothing my daughters own, from their socks to their hats. We sort through every drawer and each closet, evaluating each item while we ask ourselves, 1) Does it still fit? 2) Do you wear it? If not, will you wear it ever? and 3) Is it stained, does it have a hole, or is it missing a button? This year I was shocked that we filled two full bags of clothing to be donated or passed down to younger nieces and one full bag of trash! That is one bag of unwanted items per child taking up space in our life.
2. Make a list. Once I’ve whittled each of their wardrobes down to what is actually useable for the coming school year, I make a list of items that we need to purchase.
3. Wash and wear. It’s amazing how an old, crusty pair of tennis shoes or a sticky backpack can look as good as new after a spin through the washing machine. The dryer may damage plastic snaps on backpacks, or add to the wear and tear of other items, so it may be best to let some items air dry.
4. Talk it over. Each year we seem to be adjusting alarm clocks to fit the needs of our schedule for that particular stretch of time. Instead of blurting out the awful early morning hour to my kids I let them count backwards and come to their own conclusion about what time they need to get up in the morning. It’s also a good time to set goals for helping them to become self-reliant in the morning (setting their own clock, showering, making lunch, etc.)
5. Review the rules. My husband and I always set aside the week before school begins to review all of our “Stranger Danger” warnings with the kids. The older they’ve gotten the more detailed we’ve been able to get in these topics. Our children aren’t out of our sight too often, but school is a place where our children are exposed to all kinds of people and things often without our knowledge. It’s a great time to remind them that they can always discuss things with us if they have questions or are confused by things they’ve heard or seen at school.
6. Go out with a bang. Set a date on the calendar amidst all of the busy preparations to have one last day of fun.