Back to School;
Get Your Family Organized
Ready or not, it's that time again, back to school and routines for you and your kids. Back to school signs are everywhere; TV commercials, radio, newspapers and, of course, the stores crowded with notebooks, pencils, binders and every possible gadget to make your family motivated and organized. Back to school time marks the start of a new year for many kids and their parents. This is a perfect time to start with new habits and reflect on the old habits and why they didn't work. Example: Why I missed the school bus five times last year. Was it because I slept in, was it because I didn't finish my homework the night before or any of a myriad of reasons and excuses kids fabricate. When it comes to kids and excuses they are no different from us, they are just a little bit more creative with their excuses. Here are a few organizing tips to help your family start a successful school year.
Review
Think about your kids and the successes and challenges they had last year. What worked and what didn't? Did you lose school papers, field trip papers, popular hot lunch with donuts included? Have they missed busses or carpools and then you have to drive them and be late for your work or appointments?
S.O.S. Tips
• Wake your children 15-30 mins earlier, starting now to form a routine and give them a chance to adapt to waking up earlier. This may mean putting them to bed a little earlier - remember, children who do not get enough sleep are cranky and not inclined to behave.
• Involve your kids in packing their lunches right after dinner. Slip a little note of encouragement or one that simply says I love you.
• Teach them to choose their outfit for the next day, shoes included and provide a chair or trunk or other spot for them to lay it. Gather homework, backpacks, musical instruments, sports equipment, etc in a central area the night before.
Paper Management
• Create or update a family management center. A family management center should include a master calendar, one with enough space to write everyone's activities, doctor's appointments etc. Some of our clients like the dry-erase/bulletin board combo units (available at office stores like Office Depot) to pin invitations and event notices.
• Some families prefer chalk boards to write notes for each other, the kid's whereabouts and the phone numbers or address where they are staying.
• A tray for In / Out papers or better yet a magazine holder mounted on the wall to create more space on their desktop. Let them label and decorate. If they are involved in the organizing process it's more likely they will use the system.
• If you already have a family management center in place, now's the time to sort and discard old papers and start a new school year fresh. Don't forget to update phone numbers: friends, family, doctors, neighbours or your kid's friends & parents.
For more tips read "10 Tips to Organize Your Child"
Lunches
• Get kids involved in making their own lunches, they love to help and you want them to learn. Use a bread box to create a lunch-making station in your kitchen. The station should include small lunch bags, containers, snacks and juice boxes. Let your kids make their own sandwiches. So what if they want to eat peanut butter and jam every day. My younger daughter and her cousin ate toasted bread with cream cheese and bacon for nearly three years. They are now in their thirties and obviously survived. As Dr. Phil says "pick your battles" and the sandwich is not one of them.
| In this issue:
• Back to School
• Featured Businesses
• Support Group Details
• Back to School Special
• Contractors Needed - Residential Cleaners
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Routine
The sooner you establish a routine for your family the easier your life will be. Kids like to know what's happening next it makes them feel secure and content.
Create a schedule of chores and a reward system for doing a great job; rewards don't have to be food or money, perhaps a movie with mom or dad, a special craft or baking, pizza night etc. Give them a list of chores and help them choose the chores according to their age and ability. Collecting dirty clothes in every room, putting dishes away, setting the dinner table are some of the chores kids could do.
While routines are useful in keeping the chaos away; it's a good idea to have some flexibility in your routines to accommodate "the unknown". While teaching your kids (and yourself) to be organized you also need to teach them to adapt to changes without becoming flustered.
Supply Inventory
• Before you rush to store to buy everything new for your little darlings check the old stock of clothes, shoes bags and school supplies. Ask your kids to try their old clothes and shoes to see if they still fit. Donate or throw away old clothes, shoes, bags, pens, binders or anything else not used to avoid mixing old and not used with new and updated clothes.
Study Space
• If your kids don't already have a designated homework space, now's the time to set them up. Ask your child where s/he likes to study; living room, kitchen or his own room. Some kids study better if surrounded by other family members, others prefer solitude. Whereever you set them up, make sure you can easily monitor them to provide help and supervision (ie to keep them on track and to monitor internet usage.)
• Whichever place your child chooses to study s/he should have all their supplies handy: pens, pencils, papers, books and binders etc. For older kids a small and portable filing cabinet is recommended.
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