Back to School the Right Way

Good day all you beautiful Queens! Can I assume all of the school shopping is done, the kids are still alive, and you are all still sane?? I am sure I can! I am also sure there was trying time to be had.

Now, you can sneak in those extra YOU moments! Schedule to take your mom or your BFF out for coffee! Drop off your kid in your PJ's and then come back home and make your own coffee and enjoy a minute of peace and quiet. Pull and all day in your PJ's day if your kid rides the bus or you have a young one at home. Whatever you do make sure to turn a little attention to YOU. You have been the one busting your romp getting everything done!!! Don't forget to take a you moment to recharge a little. I am positive you need it!

Here are some school tips to make everything go a little smoother this time of year.

1. You don't have to kill yourself those first few days of the dreaded supply list isle! You can opt for shopping online and have it delivered to your door or something I always like to do...I have a supply drawer at home. Almost always it has extra pencils, pens, loose leaf paper, index cards, those composition notebooks and things that are always on the supply list. This is helpful when the store runs out (or your patience) of those things and it always cuts down on the time you have to spend elbow to elbow with grouchy overstressed parents that waited to the last minute. I am positive you are grocery shopping or hitting the store as soon as those supplies come out or run across a BOGO sale. Take a second to grab a few extras and tuck them away. It may sit in there a while, but sure does make it convenient when John or Sally says they need index cards or a folder for the next day of school at 9 pm the day before!

2. ALWAYS leave 5 to 10 minutes before you usually would for drop off, which I am positive is some form of purgatory here on earth, especially the first week of school. The stress level will be much better on everyone. Make sure your kiddo knows and anticipates this the night before. It is amazing how a simple 5-10 minutes can make the routine much more relaxed.

3. ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE!!!!! Although this might just be the trickiest one yet, it is the most simple as well. Lay out school uniforms the night before! Put everything in the book sack the night before! A simple few minute tasks can 100 percent save some nerves, yelling, the stress of rushing, and possibly even a butt or two. I won't say how many years I have been preaching this, but I am positive if my kids had a nickel for every time they heard these words, they would own a car by the time they were able to drive. No one (that I know of at least!) gets out of bed ready to tackle the day and super motivated. These very few minutes before bedtime is a must.

4. There is a million free printable first day of school picture props for that first day of school picture! Download one, print it out and take a minute to see a smile and record a memory for that first day of school picture. These are memories that will make you cry later and bring many awwww's to your future. Take 5 minutes and do this. It is amazing how fast this time goes by.

5. Go ahead and discuss the after school routine. I usually tell mine to take 30 minutes to wind down and get a snack. Whatever they wish to do, but only 30 minutes. At that time they need to get on homework and get that knocked out. I don't care if it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours. It is the 5 hour part that scares me and I have spent plenty of midnight nights still doing homework, knowing we would all die from exhaustion the next morning, because we did not get on homework early, which I am positive I probably left dad in charge that day or at least that is what story I am sticking to. It doesn't matter how we got there, but we have definitely adopted the 30 minutes and knock the homework out early rule!

6. Don't ever forget you always have mom homework after the first day! You know those long information forms, school bus transportation forms and the swear your kid won't do drugs at school as well as your blood and urine sample. Knock those out as soon as you ask your kid how their day was at school. Then make them put it up in the book sack as soon as they finish the lovely first day of school homework if they have any.

7. Make sure you give the kiddos plenty of positive things to go off with. They have so many bad influences these days. Teach your kid it is not ok to bully, but it takes a real hero to stand up for the kid being bullied. I never thought I would see the day of suicide so high in KIDS. Teach them to love one another and be a positive role model in their lives. I try my hardest to put a positive spin on things when they are having a bad day, want to give up, want to think negative. I also try my hardest for them to see me dealing with my daily struggles in a positive way and not scream, yell, or easily get frustrated with things life throws at us. I think everyone in the world needs to master this. If you find the easy way to do it, please share with us all.

8. Bake some cookies for that 1st day home from school. It makes them want to share their day more and makes a really awesome memory of those 1st days of school. <3

Those are a few of my survival ways. If you have some you would like to add we would love to hear them! Send them to me. I will be happy to add them. Happy back to schooling and don't forget to bless yo self!