Get Organized for Back to School

It's back to school time. August has just begun and, although your kids might not want to admit it, it's time to start getting organized.

Here are some tips for you to prepare yourself, your kids and your home for an organized school year.

School Supplies

Obtain a copy of the school supply list from your child's school. Many schools send a list home at the end of each school year so that parents can shop at their leisure over the Summer.

If your school did not send home a list or if your child will be new to school this year, check to see if the school has a website where they have their school supply list posted. Otherwise, contact your local school district by telephone to determine how you can obtain a copy of the supply list.

Once you have a copy of the school supply list, check to see what you already have and what you need to purchase. Make a list of necessary school supplies for each of your children.

Also keep in mind that many schools have a problem with children bringing unnecessary items to school which only clutter their desks and distract them from their studies so when you are shopping, stick to the list.

If your child attended school last year, check the condition of their backpack and lunch box. If they are still in good working order and can be reused there is no need to replace them. If they need to be replaced, add them to your shopping list.

Be careful when you are purchasing backpacks that you do not purchase one that is too large for the child to carry. Also keep in mind that most schools do not allow backpacks with wheels.

Dressed for Success

Next on the back to school agenda, it's time for closet inventory. Make it fun for your children by having a fashion show - this is especially exciting for girls. The point is to get your child to try on their school clothes to see what still fits and what does not.

Put any clothes that no longer fit into a box for donation, a garage sale, or hand-me-downs to a family member or friend. Make a note of what clothing items each child needs to start off the school year.

Don't get carried away when it comes to stocking your child's closet. A good rule of thumb is to purchase only enough to get through until the holidays. If your child has a growth spurt you will not have wasted too much money on clothes they can no longer wear.

You can ask friends and relatives to purchase new outfits for holiday gifts to help avoid toy overload and, if you have time off from your job during the holidays you can set aside another day to shop for any additional clothing items that might be necessary to get through the rest of the school year.

You will also want to send your children back to school with the proper shoes. It is very important to get your child's foot measured to ensure a proper fit when you are purchasing shoes.

Almost all shoe stores will measure your child's foot free of charge, even if you do not wind up purchasing shoes at that store. So, if you choose to purchase shoes at a store that does not provide measuring, get the proper measurement first and then shop where you choose.

Be sure you understand your school's requirements for gym shoes and any regulations that place on every day footwear before shopping for shoes.

Turn back to school shopping into quality time

If you have more than one child, take each child back to school shopping separately, making it a special day for some one on one time. You can get all of their back to school supplies and clothes in one shopping trip and even take time for a special lunch out with just that child, giving you the opportunity to chat and catch without interruptions.

The Lunch Box

Get your kitchen prepared for back to school. Make a list of lunch box favorites such as juice boxes and snacks. Take this list with you when you head off to the grocery store and start stocking up, especially if you find these items on sale.

If your child sometimes purchases a school lunch, get some small bills and quarters to keep on hand for lunch money. Place your lunch money in an envelope that you can tuck away, not to be used for any other purpose. If your child decides to buy lunch at the last minute you won't have to resort to looking under the sofa cushions for loose change. This money will also come in handy for field trips.

Prepare Their Minds to Head Back to School

A few weeks before school starts begin work with flash cards and workbooks for at least 15 minutes per day, three to four days per week. This will help get their minds back and gear and ease their transition into a new year. Don't try to introduce any new concepts. Simply review what they already know to give them a little head start on the review that they will get during the first few days of school.

Also, start getting back into the school year bedtime routine. If your kids do not use an alarm clock, now is the perfect time to introduce one. Making them responsible for getting themselves up on time each morning is a great way to start teaching time management skills that will benefit them greatly later in life.

Prepare Your Home for Back to School

• Create a school calendar for each child that can be used to keep track of what activities will occur on each day of the week. Teach each child how to use their calendar to keep track of what will happen at school each day, such as art, gym, music, field trips and show and tell.

• Create a launch zone. A launch zone is an area, preferable near the exit door, where anything your child needs to bring to school can be stored. A plastic tub works great for this purpose. If you have multiple children, get one tub for each child and put each child's name on their tub.

Each night, before going to bed, each child should be responsible for gathering any materials that need to go to school the next day, including their backpack, any homework assignments or school projects, show and tell items, etc. Their backpacks should be packed and ready to go and placed in their launch zone tub with any other necessary materials.

Using a launch zone is the perfect way to avoid that last minute running around in the morning trying to look for something that was remembered at the last minute. Plus you are also teaching your child to think ahead, another valuable skill that will help them succeed later in life.

• Create a place for school papers. Small plastic storage totes or office supply boxes work well for this. Set aside one box for each child so that you have a designated place to put the work that they bring home throughout the school year. This will prevent a build-up of papers on your kitchen counter.

• Create a homework box containing supplies your children might need in order to complete their homework assignments. A shoe box is perfect for this. Things like pencils, markers, crayons, a pencil sharpener, erasers, glue and scissors should all be placed in the homework box.

When it is time to do homework, simply pull out the box and your kids will have everything they need at their fingertips. No more procrastinating by searching all over the house for an eraser. When they are finished they can simply pack up the supplies into the homework box and put it away.

The Big Night

Another great time saver is to have your children lay out their special outfit for the first day of school before they go to bed. When I was young this was such a special back to school tradition for my brother and I. We would lay our clothes out on the floor to create a flat person, tucking the shirt into the pants, putting the belt through the belt loops, tucking the socks up into the pant legs and even placing the shoes over the socks.

Making a person is so much fun your kids might want to do it every night.