Creating a Back to School Checklist
Whether or not school has started where you live, creating a back to school checklist can be helpful to keep your days feeling organized, productive and running smoothly. Here are a few things we have on our lists to ensure that all our bases are covered during this very busy transition time!
Scheduling: First thing you want to do is get all your calendars up to date and somewhere you will be able to easily access them. Make sure you have all your orientation dates, tryouts, and parent meetings scheduled out and written down. If you use a digital calendar for your family such as a Skylight, make sure you have also uploaded any short days, days off and vacation time. You may also want to have the bus schedule easily accessible for everyone in the house to access.
School Supplies: Next, you will want to make sure you have all your school supplies from your teacher lists. It can be helpful to go through what you already have prior to going to the store so you aren’t over purchasing for the year.
Carpool Schedule: If you are utilizing friends or neighbors for carpool, set up a weekly rotating schedule that works for everyone. Allow flexibility, but having set days or weeks scheduled out can help eliminate confusion or missed rides. Make sure all the kids are on board and aware of who is picking them up each day.
Create an Efficient Morning Routine: Find ways to create a smooth morning. Some ideas are: layout clothes for next day the night before, backpacks packed and by the door before bed, lunches made or easily prepared, checklists of things the kids need to accomplish before drop off.
Lunch Station: If you plan on having your child(ren) bring their own lunches to school, help involve them in the preparation by having some kind of station or system for them to choose from. Try filling bins or baskets with things they can pick one or two things from to add to their lunches. You could have a fruit/veggie bin, a protein bin, a main event bin (one with sandwiches, wraps or leftovers) and maybe a small treat bin. This makes the creation of lunch smooth and seamless!
Create an after school/homework routine: This is so important for staying on top of schedules and assignments for your kiddos. Whether or not you like your kids to complete their homework immediately after school or if you do it later in the evening, try to create a routine where it is around the same time every day so your kids know what to expect. Oftentimes push back from kids come when they are taken by surprise and have to stop what they are doing unexpectedly. Help avoid these type of battles by creating a system that works well for you and your kids.
We hope some of these items help you get that back to school checklist made and things checked off! The start of school can be busy and overwhelming at first, but with these tips, we know you can have a fun and successful transition!