I know. I know. You are either ready for it or not, but I think it’s important that we still talk about it….getting ready for back to school. Just for fun, pop into our community group and weigh in on how you feel about the transition.
I’m kinda weird. I’m one of those people that declutters and cleans the entire house before vacation because then when you come home it’s just pure clean happiness. I do the same thing for back to school. Here are 10 things I do to get ready for back to school.
- Declutter all the things. I literally declutter ALL THE THINGS. This includes the kids playroom, their bedrooms, our pantry cupboard, the drawer with all the weird plates and cups and bowls, the garage, the bathrooms. Get rid of things. Clean things. Just get it back to a peaceful state. Decluttering helps me to think clearly. I take one area of the house every other day or so and voila less stuff is consuming us. Expired food? Goodbye. Toys your kids no longer play with. See ya!
- Clean off the fridge. It’s time to put away old artwork and make way for new artwork. Clear away old schedules and make way for the new.
- Get the calendar ready. Look to see when school actually starts. Mark it down. When do you meet teachers? Is there an orientation? Put it all down. Print the things that need to be printed. Just get it all together in one place. Especially with more than one kid. This did mean I decluttered the bulletin board. Time to clear it for the new year ahead.
- All the paperwork. We have two bins of paperwork at our house – one for each child. When they clean out their backpacks they put the paperwork in the bin. I clean it out throughout the year, but now that the new school year is starting it is time to completely empty those bins out and get them ready. Recycle stuff. Throw stuff. Goodbye piles of paperwork! Goodbye. (Hint: Don’t let your kids help you as they will want to keep everything!)
- Clothes. It’s time to check those closets to make sure the kids actually have clothes to wear when school starts. I swear kids purposefully grow right before school so you have to buy new stuff. We needed new shoes this year and we took the bin of “too big clothes” that were now “just right clothes” out of the garage to add to the closet. Get rid of stuff that doesn’t fit or stuff your child will never wear. Make a list of anything they may need for the year.
- School Supplies. I’m a big advocate of not buying things you don’t need. We use the same backpacks and lunch boxes until we can’t use them. (Hint: throw them in the washing machine!) If we can still use the scissors from last year then we do that. We buy what we need but not just to buy all new stuff. Take a minute to take inventory. I cannot even tell you how many color crayons we purged this year. So many crayons. (Speaking of that…did you see the video going around? Cray-on. Crown. Cran. What do you say?)
- Budget. Budget for what you need. Now that you’ve taken inventory of what you need you can make a budget that makes sense. You can also join free groups in your neighborhood, check OfferUp or Craigslist and get some good deals, especially on clothes or shoes. Local consignment stores are a great option for that as well.
- All the appointments. I’m pretty sure I spent an entire day making appointments. Dentist appointments. Doctor appointments. Haircut appointments. ALL THE appointments. Get them done or at least layered in for the year.
- Working Mom Days. I think way ahead into the whole year and make a list of all the dates my husband and I are going to need to find coverage for when our kids are off school. This keeps us sane. We tend to do alternate days, find some coverage or use babysitters or school programs. If I work ahead then there is no stress. If I do the whole year at once it is sooooo nice! Plus, it helps with the budget too since it is laid in!
- Take a vacation. take a load off. Either a staycation or a bigger vacation will help you enjoy the last bits of summer as a family. Take some time to have fun! You deserve it mom. Now you are ready for what the new school year holds. You’ve got this!
Are you as crazy as me? How do you get ready for the new school year?
