Planning the School Year: For Moms

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September is literally days away… As a mom I’ve been thinking a lot about what I need to do before my kiddos are back in class. But then I think, getting them into school is one thing, keeping us all organized into the school year is quite another! So here are some ideas to keep you organized through the school year as a mom.

Step 1: Get ready for school

Ok, first and foremost you should make sure that you have all the necessary school supplies.

But before you go buying a ton of stuff make sure to check with your school about what, specifically, your child needs. Some schools need you to pick up pencils, erasers, rulers, etc. but others provide those.

Also, try to avoid the consumerist approach to back to school and see what you have before you go out and buy a whole new set of Tupperware before you realize that your lunch ware cupboard is overflowing as is.

Step 2: Establish a good evening and morning routine for yourself and the kids.

Having two solid routines to start and end your day will make A WORLD of difference.

In order to avoid feeling rushed in the morning build simple tasks like packing lunches into your evening routine. Check out these 2 posts on building these routines (they have videos too!) in order to get yourself set.

• Revitalize your Mornings with an Evening Routine
• Make your Morning Easier by having a Morning Routine

The amount of stress you’ll avoid by having these is monumental.

Step 3: When you get home from school

If you’re like me, your kids come in and try to make a mad dash for the next fun thing without a thought. I’m often left standing in the midst of jackets, shoes, backpacks and all sorts of other things just inside the door.

In order to avoid this, make sure that it’s easy for your kids to put things away as soon as they get home.

I have a coat rack specifically for them that hangs their backpacks and coats. Havings a spot for them to put mail bags or communication books from teachers is also a great way to make sure that you don’t miss any important notes from school.

I love this wall mounted organizer from Amazon:

Just make sure that after you check them that you put them back for your child to put back in their bag before they leave the next day.

Another thing I like my girls to do right after school is to unpack their lunch bags. They can rinse their containers and put them in the sink or dishwasher and return any uneaten food to the fridge or cupboard. They then tuck their lunch bags away until I repack them after dinner.

By having them get emptied immediately the likelihood of gross-ness drops significantly. There is nothing worse than going to pack lunch on Sunday and finding Friday’s leftovers…

Step 4: Keep lines of communication open

This is essential!

You need lines of communication with your children about what they’re learning and how their feeling at school. Being able to talk about their friends, worries and victories will build strong relationships with your child so that they always keep you informed.

You also need open lines of communication with your child’s teacher. Getting to know them and their teaching style will help you supplement at home if necessary. Not every teacher and child is a perfect match so reiterating work or going through a lesson in a different way might make a huge difference in building confidence.

Keep the lines of communication with your co-parent open as well! Some of the most frustrating moments as a parent with school-aged kids are of the “I thought you were doing that” variety.

Making sure that you both know what each is responsible for is a major key. So who drops off? Who picks up? Does one of you pack lunch and the other help with homework?

By laying this out clearly everything will get done and you’ll avoid unnecessary arguments.

• Related: Prioritizing: What to do when
• Related: 4 Easy ways to save an hour

Step 5: Get some help

There are going to be times during the school year that things get out of hand. There can be so much to keep up with!

I’ve found this especially true when I was working outside the home.

This is why I’m a HUGE believer in having your child help you out.

I don’t have time to get home, clean, make dinner, clean up after dinner, go through the teacher’s mail, read with them, help with homework and then do bedtimes, not to mention anything else that needs to get done.

So have your child help. This will build their skills in ways that many kids don’t get the chance to.

As I mentioned, my girls help out after school. They also have jobs to do right after dinner while I do dishes and pack lunches. They sweep and clear and wash the table. Very regularly one will now help me make dinner and the other will read to us while we do it.

I’ve found it so much easier to get chores done and reading time in like this and we also get to spend the time together without feeling super rushed.

We try to talk about their days and what they’re doing at school over dinner in order to strengthen our lines of communication as well. I highly encourage being away from the TV and spending that time together without distraction. It will keep you super informed.

Step 6: Go with the flow

Sometimes you’re not going to be able to stay on top of it all.

That’s just the way it is and it’s perfectly alright. All you can do is your best.

Just try to establish systems and routines that support the behaviour you want and the level of organization you need. It might take some practice and some patience to figure out what works but try not to get discouraged.

And if you’re asking your child to participate, don’t do what you’ve asked them to do for them! If you do, you’re just extending the learning curve. Meaning, you’ll end up being at that stage for way longer.

Remember you will be able to catch up and if you miss a note or send your child to school with mismatched socks, it’s not a big deal. We’re all in this together.