Weplay Moms

We’re off and running with the new school year! It seems like moms, dads, and kids are all asking the same question across the country: “Where did my summer go?” Whether you’re super happy or incredibly bummed for school bells to be ringing, there’s no stopping them. September is here whether we like it or not.

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Once we accept that school has started, we can do things to make it easier on us. The stresses that a new school year brings can significantly affect both parents and kids. New schedules will have to be adhered to, homework will have to be completed each night, and fall sports will have to be juggled into all of our planning. I find that the more I can prepare for the school year, the happier and less stressed I am when the year is in full swing. Here are 10 preparations that I find helps a bunch!

1. School supplies: You probably got a list of supplies from your teachers. Use it! From my experience, you can never have too many extra notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers and whatever else you can think of. Be thorough, you don’t want to use up valuable time running to stores more than once if you can avoid it.
2. Scheduling: This is incredibly important. Be sure to coordinate rides, carpools, practice schedules, dinner, rides home, lunch, and anything else. I’ve found that you can never be too prepared here.
3. Buy food for the week on Sunday: This is a great way to save time and money. Buy food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Sunday. Plan meals out so that you don’t have to run to the grocery store during your busy week. This is also a wonderful way to make sure that your family is eating right. Get a lot of whole wheat, fruit, and nutritious food for the family.
4. Get sports equipment prepared: If your child is playing a fall sport, get in contact with their coach so that you can completely prepare their equipment. Nobody wants to be running around last minute because cleats don’t fit, etc. Have them try on and start to break in equipment, so they have an advantage over other athletes who don’t prepare.
5. Take learning beyond the classroom: Be on the lookout for reinforcing important learning concepts within the shared passions of your child and family. Sports are great for addition, subtraction, and statistic concepts. Break down motivational speeches given by famous coaches as a non-traditional English or grammar lesson. And looking into how teams perform under certain weather conditions can tie in with geography and science lessons.
6. Prepare a clean, quiet, peaceful space for homework: Trust me, if kids try to do their homework in a busy kitchen or in the TV room, they’re a lot less likely to get their work done efficiently. Make sure to set aside a neat desk or a quiet table somewhere in the house. This really helps them to prepare for class.
7. Health supplies: It’s important to have a thorough first aid kit on hand so that you don’t have to waste time running out to the store anytime something happens. You should pack a bevy of first-aid supplies, children’s strength pain reliever, and a children’s strength antihistamine just in case seasonal allergies pop up. This can be a real help!
8. Make certain that everybody gets enough rest, even you: Sleep and rest is essential to staying healthy and stress free. Plan out homework, meals, and rides so that everybody gets to sleep at a reasonable hour.
9. Plan a family night: With all the running around that is included in the new year, it certainly gets tough to sit down and spend some time as a family. Plan a night for quality time that includes, games, movies, a picnic or pretty much anything you can think of. Family time is so important, especially when children are young.
10. Get contact information for your child’s teachers: Open, honest, and candid lines of communication between you and your child’s teachers are amazingly helpful. Make certain you know how your child is doing in school, and be receptive to anything you can do to help in the classroom.

Now, as with all things, you can never be 100% prepared for everything that happens. However, a wise man once said that “luck favors those who prepare,” and I’d like to believe that.

Have a great school year!

-Summer