If you are a parent, August is a month you either look forward to or dread!! It means the resumption of school and all that  entails - classes, homework assignments, after school activities etc. This month we'll be looking at ways of starting off the new school year with a plan as well as some simple organizing ideas that will hopefully make this year go smoother for you.
 
Sit down with all family members and discuss how many after school activities are appropriate. In most cases, you should probably limit these to no more than two per child. Also, discuss with your children any expectations regarding homework fulfillment and after school TV or video games etc. When my kids  were in grade school, our rule was that homework got done first, then TV-watching was allowed as a privilege, but was very limited.
 
Make sure that your child has a designated place to do their homework - but multi-tasking while watching TV at the same time isn't a good idea!! A fully stocked desk of their own is the best arrangement. If you encourage good study habits at an early age it will stay with them throughout their life.
 
Do an assessment of your child's clothing to determine what you need to buy for the upcoming school year and then take advantage of the many back to school bargains. Do the same with school supplies.
 
Install a bulletin board and a white board in a visible place like the kitchen. Use it to write messages on and to post all school-related paperwork such as permission slips, schedules, weekly school lunch menus, vacation day calendar, and special announcements. That way, when the need arises you can find that permission slip in a flash!
 
Teach your children to be in charge of their backpacks. As soon as they get home from school they should post any forms or notices on the bulletin board, empty out their lunch box, put any dirty gym clothes in the laundry hamper for washing, and then hang their backpack up. Also, Make a habit of placing any permission slips that have to be returned to school in your child's backpack the night before, to help make the morning run smoother.
 
Encourage your child to lay out his or her clothes before they go to bed. That way you won't hear those "I can't find anything to wear" complaints or have to put up with "I'm missing the matching sock"!
 
Assign a bin or basket for each child to place all their school papers in for you to look at. Try to go through this basket on a daily basis, but keep only a selection of your child's work. You DO NOT have to keep every piece of paper that your child writes on. You are not a bad parent if you don't keep it all! Put the papers you have chosen to keep in a storage bin labeled "Clancy's Keepsake Schoolwork". At the end of the semester go through this bin, purging and keeping just the best selection of your child's work. You can then place them in folders labeled by grade level. I have a large storage container for both our children and each box holds Grades 1 through college papers, school awards and the like.
 
OK, now what about all the artwork that your little one brings home? Once again, you do not have to keep it all! How about making a gallery of their best works, framed in a hallway? Another idea is to take photos of their artwork and then scan them into your computer.
 
Whenever you can, try to all eat together as a family in the evening. (And not in front of the TV!) Family time is so important and as we all seem to be so rushed these days, it may be the only time during the day to have any meaningful conversation with other family members.
 
Make all those lunches ahead of time! Even now, with my college-age kids out of the house, I make my husband's lunch before I do the dishes each night. It's much easier to make those lunches in the evening than in the rush of the morning! Keep a basket in the pantry where you keep school lunch mainstays as well as suitable after school snacks.
 
One last thing - make sure that your child gets enough sleep. I can't stress how important this is. Lack of sleep is one of the major causes of daytime fatigue and is also linked to poor school performance.
 
I hope that these tips will help you and your family have a great school year. If you have any questions, remember that I'm always available via email or phone to help!
 
Merri