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August is a bit of a frenzy. We’re trying to pack in those last few moments of summer and, at the same time, gather everything together for the start of school. As a parent, it feels like a whirlwind.
In times like these, when life feels a little wobbly, I try to control what I can. This manifests as planning, organizing and buying for the sake of feeling prepared.
Sometimes I tend to go a little overboard with my preparedness and feel tempted to buy winter snow boots for my daughter in July. (That might be taking it a little too far. Is it?). And other times my over-analyzing brain uncovers some useful methods. Here I’ll share some of the things that help me get through this time of year.
How I Calm the Crazy
Planning
Scheduling is probably one of the most stressful aspects of the schoolyear. Set aside time to mark down all important dates from school and extracurricular activities in the calendar.
I use 3 calendars. Yes, 3. And they each serve a specific purpose.
Cozi Calendar - A shared digital calendar for all family happenings. This is the first place I enter appointments, events and save dates. It is sort of used as a mind-dump location for everything.
Tip: You can upload your school’s digital calendar directly to your Cozi account and it will automatically populate important dates and days off. Check it out.
A Weekly Calendar - Part of my Sunday evening routine is to review our Cozi calendar and handwrite out my weekly calendar and to-dos. This prepares me for the week ahead and gives me an idea of how my days will go. It may be redundant, but it helps me to understand where we have commitments vs. free time and what needs to get done.
A Wall Calendar - A seasonal wall calendar that spans a few months at a time. Having this calendar on display gives my daughter visibility into her schedule since she doesn’t have access to our digital calendar. This is where I write down important school dates and after school activities. It also allows us to view the season as a big picture snapshot to see where we can remove things and lighten our load.
Supplies and Gear
Shopping for school supplies could either be a fun experience or the bane of your existence. I hit the “easy button” and opt for ordering the 1st day of school supply kits. (It may be at a premium, but the time and energy saved is worth it). This year we missed the deadline (transferring schools) so I hit the next best “easy button” and used a combination of online ordering for home delivery and order pickup. If you enjoy the in-store shopping experience, you do you! This is just my way of simplifying the process.
Review backpacks, lunch boxes, food containers, and water bottles to see what can be reused from the prior year and what could use a refresh. Pottery Barn Kids is my go-to resource for all of the above. (See my post on deep cleaning backpacks if you plan to reuse yours).
Once we gather all the supplies, we label up. Mabel’s Labels makes it so easy with their customizable multi-use labels. I order this combo package for supplies, clothing, and shoes. They’re durable and can last through the whole school year, even through the dishwasher and laundry.
I also take advantage of back-to-school sales to stock up on fall clothing staples and shoes like:
leggings/pants
long sleeves
fleece jacket
rain boots
rain coat
sport/activity practice attire
sweats
socks
sneakers (a pair for everyday wear and a pair for gym class)
Last but not least is hand sanitizer and wipes. Back-to-school time can also mean back to sharing germs. Dr. Brite carries alcohol based sanitizer products that are effective and free of toxic chemicals. I get the keychain sanitizers to keep handy in my purse and packages of wipes to keep in my car and gym bag.
Organization
Designate a command center or drop-zone in your home for your daily routines. This is where we house things like:
our seasonal wall calendar
a laminated pdf copy of the school’s calendar
monthly hot lunch menu
a morning checklist (i.e. get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, pack bag, etc.)
phone/watch chargers
glasses (“in the case when not on your face”)
a basket for schoolwork/art for the papers kids bring home
bags for each after-school activity
This serves as a catch-all spot for everything we need to make transitions in and out the door smoother. There’s nothing like running late and trying to find your glasses all over the house (been there!)
After school, when the take-home folder explodes, I review with my daughter and then all papers and artwork that doesn’t get displayed goes into a basket. When the schoolwork basket is full, I sit down and go through the pile all at once rather than sifting through every piece of paper as it comes in the door each day. It eliminates some of the daily decision-making and keeps the paperwork contained in one spot. It also gives us a grace period to decide what is keepable and what can be tossed out and recycled. (We’ve shed tears over seeing work go into the garbage. I’ve learned my lesson!)
Another method that works well for us in the drop-zone space is to designate a bag for each activity and keep it packed with the essentials. For example, if your kids have after-school swim lessons keep a bag packed with their goggles, a towel, flip flops, shower essentials, and a change of clothes.
Soccer bag? Cleats, shin guards, socks, a ball and maybe some snacks.
Dance bag? Ballet shoes, jazz shoes, tap shoes, leotard, a skirt, and a pair of tights.
You get the idea. Just make sure to replenish the bag each time you return home from the activity so it’s ready to go for next time.
Lunches and Snacks
Packing a lunch for school can sometimes lead to decision fatigue. I use a formula similar to this template for planning lunches. At the start of the school year, I make an exhaustive list of food options that my daughter enjoys, and try to include items from each category when packing her lunches. Here is a sample list.
Main Course: turkey & cheese sandwich, PBJ, quesadilla, pesto pasta, cold pizza, cheese croissant, pancakes, buttered noodles, “lunchables” (meat, cheese, cracker, nut combo)
Veggie: cucumbers, snap peas, carrots, cherry tomatoes, green peas, peppers, edamame, green beans, kale chips
Fruit: grapes, blueberries, strawberries, apples, clementine, banana, nectarine, raspberries
Something Fun: granola bar, cookies, pretzels, popcorn, pirate booty, hippeas cheese puffs, chocolate covered almonds
If your child’s school offers hot lunch and you choose to partake in it, remember to add funds to the school meal account. Our school allows us to choose specific days in advance, which is helpful for knowing how much I’ll need to fund meals each month.
After-school snacks are a whole thing going on. I’m not sure what happens between lunch and school pickup but kids tend to be hangry when they get home. To make this part of the day easier, I store grab-able items in our pantry and a designated drawer in our fridge. Our favorites are:
cheese sticks
applesauce cups
salami snacks
protein bars
apples
individual bags of popcorn, Hippeas, and Pirate’s Booty
bananas
These are easy for kids to grab without having to wait for snack prep, and it quickly diffuses those hangry meltdowns.
Schedule Time for You
This might be my favorite crazy-calming method: Schedule time for you once school is back in session. Go to the gym, book a massage, block out time to soak in the bath, meet a friend for coffee after drop-off, go for a walk, sit down for a nourishing meal, start a new project, meditate, have a date with a good book. Whatever fills your cup, do it. Schedule it on your calendar and make a commitment to yourself.
At a minimum, find ways to schedule buffer into your days - an hour in between appointments, pockets of time for reading or writing, time outside in nature (even if it’s a slow walk to and from your car).
Parenting school aged children in our world today is A LOT. Give yourself the time and attention you’ve been craving and reconnect with yourself.
*Insert huge sigh of relief*
So that is how I get through the transition back to school. I hope you found a helpful nugget or two to help you calm the craziness. As with anything I post, take what works for you and leave the rest. And if you have any ideas you’d like to share, please leave a note in the comments section below. I’d love to hear!
My Favorites
Some of my favorite kids’ clothing stores that offer back-to-school sales: Boden, Primary, Hanna Andersson
I picked up this book for a fun read when school starts.
Listening to this Lofi Morning playlist all day.
The new Magnolia Journal Fall Issue is making me want to fast-forward to next season.
These Spanx Air Essentials pants are soft like butter! I got them in black, and I’m ready for lounging.
Can’t stop eating these honey roasted pistachios. They’re so addicting.
Everyone’s talking about THE BEAR. Looking forward to diving into the series.
Love these 5 ways to reduce stress levels.
We visited our local conservatory and look how cool this garden kaleidoscope is…
This is the view when you peek inside!
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- Diana xo
Great read! I will be getting myself a latte on my way into work on the first day of school as a “me” time with the entering of a new season 😄
Hope K has the best year! We truly miss you!!!! ❤️❤️❤️