Top 10 Tips for Busy Moms at the Beginning of the School Year

Back to school season is a busy one and can easily turn into overwhelm for any mom or family. Here are ten tips to help cut back on the overwhelm and create a sense of order as you get your family in a back to school routine.

Tip 1.  Order Online
Why run around to every store leading up to the first day of school searching for school supplies when you can hop online and purchase all the essentials and have them sent right to your door? This applies for the rest of the school  year when you run out of supplies — online shopping is your friend!

Tip 2.  Weekend Prep
Get your weekend in order and do all the laundry, try to cook for the week or at least prepare a menu and buy the necessary groceries. Assign chores to everyone (yes, kids have to do housework!) and spend Saturday morning together cleaning the house so that the rest of the weekend can be reserved for quality family time.

Tip 3.  Assign Responsibility By Age
Now that your kiddos are one year older, it could be the right time to assign them some more responsibility. Think about having them make their own lunches and pick out their own clothes to help you shave off time to your busy morning schedule.

Tip 4.  Start Early
Start your new routine at least a week prior to the start of the new school year. Think back to the last year and see where you can make a few adjustments on timing and routine and see where you can do so. If your kids have too many tardies on their reports, it is time to get them up earlier and to bed earlier too!

Tip 5. Organize Paperwork
As soon as those school forms start rolling in for your signature, make a good habit of signing them and putting them right back into your child’s backpack. The sooner you get this routine down, the better the school year will be for all.

Tip 6.  Homework Prep
Make an effort to start prepping your kids about a week or two before school begins with some reading and writing fun activities. If you make it more like a game, the more likely you will get their full attention.

Tip 7.  Limit Activities
As the summer draws to a close and you begin to fill in your crazy calendar for the fall, try not to over do it and sign your kids up for too many extra activities. Keep it simple as you ease into the new school year. 

Tip 8.  Open Communication
Another great way to start off the new year right is to keep communication open with your kids and their teachers.  This will leave little room for misunderstandings when it comes to homework, grades, and everything else.

Tip 9.  Volunteer at School
Volunteering at your children’s school is a super way to get involved and spend more time with them, but keep in mind that once you are “in charge” of a project or group, it is all on you. So, maybe sign up to help, but not run the entire project.

Tip 10.  Breathe!
Finally,  just breathe! And along with that, don’t forget to carpool, schedule downtime, enjoy kid-free mommy dates, and HAVE A GREAT YEAR!