6 Easy Back-to-School Tips for Busy Moms

Summer is coming to an end. Back to school sales are advertised everywhere producing a mix of nervousness and excitement for the school year to come.

As a mom, it may fall on you to make sure your young kids are prepared to start the school year with calm and excitement instead of overwhelm and stress.

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The Start of School Creeps Up On You

Towards the end of the school year, all you can think about is a more laid back routine and enjoying all of the activities summer has to offer.

You don’t even worry about looking to see when school starts in September. As July passes, and then comes August you just want to savor every last day of summer.

Then it hits you that you have, like, two weeks to buy school supplies, figure out if your child has any school clothes that fit, and buy new Velcro sneakers for your child because you didn’t teach them to tie their shoes over the summer like planned.

Not to mention haircuts, and finding the perfect outfit for the first day of school pictures.

It can create a sense of panic, at least that’s what I start feeling!

Give the following back-to-school tips a try to create more of a sense of preparedness and calm instead of chaos and panic. I wish I could say all these ideas were mine, but I have Pinterest and wonderful other bloggers to thank for some of them. However, my intent is to give some of these a try!

6 Back-to-School Organization Tips

1. Practice the Week Before

A week before school starts, set the alarm (**my son uses one like this) and treat the day like it’s a school day. Have your child wake up at the time they would wake up for school and make them go through their school morning routine.

Practicing this beforehand will help alleviate any anxiety your child may feel the first day of school, and it will help the real first day of school feel a little less chaotic.

My oldest son started kindergarten last year and I used this practicing tip with him the week before school started. It made the first day of school so much easier. The few days of practice also helped me figure out ways the morning could go a little bit smoother before school actually started.

If you want to make this even easier for your child, and avoid having to repeat yourself a million times, download the free Morning Routine Checklist for your child (included in the free Quick Guide to Lessen Overwhelm + Enjoy Motherhood More).

And if you really want to feel prepared for the first day of school, go through your routine as if it was the first day of school. Prepare the lunches and get yourself ready so you know how much time you will need to get everything done when school starts.

2. Create a School Work Bin like The Krazy Coupon Lady

One thing that really overwhelms me is all the papers that the kids bring home. I take a look at the worksheets and stuff, and then try to sneak them in the recycling bin without getting caught…

But for the times when I want to keep something special. I place it in the bin. Now, I still have not went through the papers from preschool…but at least I know where everything is!

3. Label All Personal Items (from Cents and Family)

This tip is especially important for the younger kids who tend to “forget” their gloves on the bus, or lunch box in the cafeteria.

You can use a **black sharpie marker, or if your fancy, a **label maker.

Make sure you put your child’s name on the following:

• **pencil boxes
• **headphones
• **folders
• **markers/crayons
• **water bottles
• school lunch supplies
• extra set of clothes if it’s required
• **gloves
• **hats
• **backpack
• **jacket

4. Come Up With Lunch Ideas With Help From Boston Mamas

I really don’t enjoy having to figure out what to pack for school lunches. Which means I make a ton of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Before the school year starts, sit down with your child and ask them for some lunch ideas. And if you are both stuck for ideas, use this awesome graphic below from Boston Mamas to help you!

5. Find That School Supply List

I may be a little behind the times, but I was waiting for the school supply list to come in the mail and then it hit me – check the district website! And there it was.

You can get a head start on school supply shopping by grabbing that school supply list online weeks before school starts and beat the back to school crowds.

If you are super organized, you could even start shopping for this stuff in the beginning of summer so you’re not shelling out a good chunk of money at once.

6. Keep Your Schedule Open the First Few Weeks of School like Coffee, Pancakes & Dreams

Transitioning into a new routine is hard for everyone. It can take a few weeks for the whole family to settle into things.

My son is usually so tired the first few weeks of school. Without time to unwind and rest, it makes for a behavioral nightmare.

Plan to have time after school for your kids to rest or play outside without having to rush through dinner and activities.

Jaclyn from Coffee, Pancakes & Dreams leaves the first weekend of school open so her kids can ease back into their Friday night pizza and a movie and just relax. I love this idea!

Use These Tips to Ease Into The School Year

If you use these six tips, you and your kids will feel organized and ready to go when that first day of school comes around.

Let me know if you have any back-to-school tips, click the button below to share your tip with me! And if you try one of these tips, let me know how it goes!

Check Out These Other Helpful Posts:

• If you need some ideas for packing a school lunch, check out my post, School Lunch Must-Haves that are Eco-Friendly
• After school can feel more chaotic than mornings sometimes! Here’s the after school routine that works for our family.
• The Fall is a great time to instill some new routines. Use this helpful guide to create daily routines for your family.

Grab the {free} Quick Guide to Lessen Overwhelm + Enjoy Motherhood More!