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.

By Ann Springer

Everyone knows that living with children means you are familiar with sacrificing. I love having a clean house, so I struggle to keep my sanity when I’ve stepped on another Lego with my bare foot or find yogurt art smeared all over my kitchen table. While I openly admit to having a passion for organization, I am the first one to complain about cleaning. The satisfaction of a clean home is short lived that I struggle to put a lot of time into it when I could be doing something else that has a longer return on investment. However, the years I’ve learned a few shortcuts to spend less time cleaning up and more time having fun.

1) Let kids be kids. Hovering over and picking up after kids all day long is the definition of insanity. No one will be happy at the end of the day if this is the system you adopt – the kids or the parents. Instead, let the kids spread out during the day or after school (within reason) and then spend the last 10 minutes of the day before dinner transforming your home back into an adult space. It’s amazing what a mess than can make in an hour or two, but order can be restored in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Sponge Bob.

2) Get a little help from Mr. Clean. If you’ve got the right cleaning tools on your belt you can really make your house sparkle in no time at all. Some of the best products on the market cost less than $5 –but are worth every penny spent for the hours of hard work they help one avoid. Between baby wipes and Magic Erasers, you can clear off what I affectionately call “kid funk” from nearly any surface. I also adore Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl Gel because it keeps toilets fresh smelling and clean looking for days longer without turning your water blue.

3) Call in the troops. All of my children know how to clean from a very young age. My theory is everyone makes the mess, so I figure everyone can pitch in and help to clean up. Toddlers can clean up their own toys, older kids can help with laundry, and nothing makes me love my husband more than when he comes home and says, “How can I help?” Besides, when everyone helps we spend less time cleaning and more time together having fun.

By Ann Springer

Most parents would likely agree that getting their kids to pick up their bedrooms can be more work than just doing it themselves. We all know that method is a losing battle. The kids will never learn to be responsible if everything is done for them. Besides, what parent wants to pick up after their kids all the time?

Not sure where to start? With the right system in place, the possibility for a tidy room is definitely a possibility. Below are a couple steps to getting kids rooms or toy rooms under control.

1) Start in the master bedroom. In case you didn’t already know this, kids pick up on everything. If your bedroom isn’t clean you can’t really expect to hold your offspring to the same standard. I’ve noticed that the tidier my room is, the cleaner my children’s rooms tend to be. Resist the urge to come up with adult-sized excuses and instead tackle your own mess first. Credibility goes a long way in holding kids accountable.

2) Every year – twice a year. I adopt a model in which our kids donate one item from their room for every new item that they receive. This philosophy keeps inventory from exploding in our children’s room. So, when you’re child is begging for that Happy Meal toy ask them, “If I buy this for you, what toy in your room will you donate?” If carried out, this method can be an effective way to keep kids from always wanting new items. It also helps them part with items they don’t really use anymore. Additionally, I recommend sorting through every item in their room about twice a year (preferable around the holidays and birthdays). We use this time to repair items, replace batteries, toss items we can’t donate, and pass on others that are in good order still. At the end of the process we usually have at least one bag full of donations and another full of trash yet their room still looks full and their faces show pride and joy.

3) Preventing a pack rat. We’re all naturally inclined to want things and to cherish the items we have, but it’s not the things that bring us happiness, it’s our connection to what they represent that makes us happy. Teaching children to let go of possessions helps prevent materialism and donating them to others helps them to be unselfish. Achieving an orderly space for your kids to call their own may require letting go of items in which you have excess. How many t-shirts can one third-grader really wear? How many stuffed animals does your toddler really play with? We’ve found it’s easiest for our children to “donate” loved items to others when they can see where they’re going. We regularly drop off bags to families with younger children and watch them play with the hand-me-downs with excitement. You may also want to take a trip to your local thrift store, or shelter, to show kids where the donation bags ultimately end up.

4) Organization is a skill. Once you’ve cleared out and whittled down their toys and clothes to a manageable level it’s time to give it all a home. If you can establish a logical home for all of the items then you’re children should be able to easily follow through and maintain the system. After doing a quick inventory you may realize you need to purchase additional storage solutions. Check out organizational items everywhere, from hardware stores to big box super stores. You never know where you’ll find the bookshelf, toy box, or other system you need to get your room in check. Sort toys by the type of toy they are and then label each bin. For young children you may have to use pictures of the contents if they aren’t old enough to read. Introducing children as young as 2 and 3 to sorting toys is a natural time to begin because toddlers love to sort and organize as they work on their brain development.

5) Pile on the praise. If they clean up their Connect Four game when they’re done without being asked, or they do a great job putting the Barbie collection away, I am always quick to give them kudos. It’s always best to catch to take a positive approach when possible. So catch them doing something good so they’ll be more likely to repeat a good behavior instead of a bad one. It’s often easier said than done unfortunately because it’s easier to recognize a messy room than to notice a neat one. Using TV or computer time, or whatever currency your children bartar with, as a reward is a great incentive, but piling on the praise and love from Mom or Dad also goes a long way in motivating children.

By Ann Springer

Parents everywhere rejoiced when washable art supplies hit the market. No longer do you have to line your kitchen table with newspaper before you can let your kids create a masterpiece.

Children love to create their own masterpieces and there are endless products on store shelves to help these budding artists. If you’re not organized, you may find that no matter how many boxes of Crayolas you purchase you still find yourself searching under couch cushions looking for half a dozen crayons when your child wants to color.

Not only does this waste time and money, it also means you’ve got art supplies loose in your house that could potentially damage furniture or walls. Here’s my plan to keep unauthorized art projects to a minimum.

1) Isolate all of the art supplies to a limited area. For older children, I recommend keeping all art supplies on a desk with shelving. The desk can double as a place to do homework as well as craft projects. For younger children I recommend a small table for them to call their own. Keep art supplies out of arms reach but make them available upon request and with supervision. This should keep glitter glue and Play-Do out of your carpet and onto the places their intended.

2) Organize the instruments. A lazy susan with sorting bins – like a repurposed kitchen tool from Pampered Chef – makes a great art caddy. It spins and has small slots for items to be sorted like crayons, markers, pencils and scissors. When you remove the items from their original boxes and pool them together the kids have everything they need at their fingertips. Another bonus to creating a caddy is it’s also portable if we’re working on a larger product and we need to relocate to the kitchen table.

3) Toss it in the trash. Placing a trash can near the desk or table is a great way to keep pencil shavings and wads of used paper off the floor. If you give them easy access to the trash they’re more inclined to use it.