The Back To School Prep Checklist
It seems crazy to believe another school year is right around the corner, but here in Arizona we are on the final countdown of summer! Back to school is an exciting time, but also now that I have multiple kids in school full time I realize there is a lot more to do when you have to get multiple kiddos to get ready! Below you’ll find some practical things we do in our home to get prepared, mixed with some fun ones that have become staple memories we will look back on years from now and smile!
The Beginning & End Of The Year Photos- I have been taking the same chalkboard style photos of the kids on the first and last days of the year since Charlotte started Kindergarten and they are my favorite! At the end of the year, it is crazy to see how much they’ve grown up and also so fun to see what things they still like and maybe somethings that have changed over the last school year!
Decorating For The First Day- This is something I started more recently and the kids loved it! It is another one of those touches that can be quick and simple but still make the day exciting for everyone! After the kids are tucked into bed with dreams of starting a new school year, the Back To School Fairy stakes over and decorates our kitchen with some balloons, festive plates and banners to welcome them in the morning for a yummy breakfast and send them off into the new year!
Back To School Shopping (Supplies)- To save myself the chaos and stress of the school supply section at Target, this is one of the things I outsource out. Target does free pickup orders with no minimum price and typically ready for pick up within a couple of hours! I print out the kids supply lists and get everything added to the cart and then to a drive up order. Another Back to School option a lot of schools offer is ordering the kit from the school and having it on their desk for Meet The Teacher Night. This option is typically more expensive, so I will stick with my pickup order routine to save some extra money for the fun BTS shopping!
Back To School Shopping (Clothing)- With the splitting of the shopping the clothing shopping is the fun part! I like to take the clothes shopping separately and make a day of it! We talk about the upcoming year ahead; some goals, things we are looking forward to and things they may make us a little bit nervous too! It is so fun to see their personalities come out when picking out new clothes and shoes! We make sure to shop smart as well and take advantage of the Back to School sales coming up!
Breaking Up The Spending- Let’s face it, Back To School can be pricey, especially with multiple kids to shop for. The way I like to break up the cost is to do the necessities first, typically end of June/ first week of July. This is when I get their supplies ordered, any new water bottles, backpacks and lunchboxes taken care of. Then, as we get closer to school we do anything clothing and shoe shopping, haircuts, and anything else they may need.
Roll Back Bedtime- This is probably not the favorite for most kids, but in our house about a week or two before school starts, we start to roll back bedtimes. Since summer is about having fun, we usually allow our kids to go to bed a later than they normally would. While we do maintain a light schedule and lots of fun throughout the summer, it is important to make sure students have enough sleep to be ready for the days of learning ahead. Sometimes this transition back is easy and other times it’s not, that is why I like to allot about a week or more for the transition.
Appointment Time- This is a great time to squeeze in any appointments to try and avoid having to fit these in once school and extracurriculars get moving again! Getting these appointments in now avoids having to come into school late or leave early as well! We also make sure to get the fun appointments in too, like those sharp Back to School haircuts!
Refresh Homework Station- Whether you have a dedicated office or desk space for homework, or it happens at the kitchen table I typically refresh this area. I like to take advantage of the school supply sales and grab us some essentials we use and refresh my organizers with all new supplies for when that homework makes its way back into our afternoons!
Meal Plan- If you don’t meal plan already, this is a great week to have a plan of some easy meal ideas to get us through what can be a chaotic first week! There are all the emotions, the drive lines that take longer than usual, and first week back of activities! This will ensure you have one less thing to think about as we get used to your new routine and normal.
Choose First Day Outfits- This is always a fun one, head back to school in style and have your kids pick out their outfits! They will be walking in with all the confidence in something they feel comfortable in.
Enjoy Some You Time- This one is for the parents that make it all happen! A lot goes into getting everyone ready for back to school and there are always emotions on that first day. Take this time to treat yourself! Whether that’s coffee, a workout or a lunch date, you deserve it!
Happy Learning!
-Victoria
