Back To School!!

Birmingham, AL / Children & Family Photographer

The only thing busier than the holiday season is the back to school season, it seems. Summer is winding down and so are the zeroes in your checking account from freeloading kiddos and vacations and hopefully the most memorable fun filled summer yet. I know you’re busy and the checklists seem endless but here’s a few tips and tricks to ensure you don’t forget anything and you can make the start of a new school year as easy and stress free as possible. 

• Supply list: I know some teachers are super vague and some are annoyingly extra and specific but let’s be honest, teachers don’t get nearly enough credit. If Mrs. Lauren wants 13 1/2 packs of Lysol wipes, Mrs. Samantha wants a Starbucks card and a pack of paper, and Mr. Bill wants dry erase markers and a pint of blood, trust me when I say, they are deserving and it’s beyond worth it. I’ve spent all Summer with my kiddos and I’ll buy any and everything on that supply list…Twice. Typically this list is class specific so you shouldn’t have a hard time or have to spend outrageous amounts of money to get this one completed. Tip: Do yourself a favor while you’re purchasing these supplies, go ahead and grab some poster board, glue sticks, and crayons to keep at home and avoid that 9th hour run to the store for a project that’s due the next day.

• Nonperishable items: Ziplock bags, reusable pouches, paper plates, disposable silverware, napkins, etc. These are all essential…Stock up. 

• Fun items: My kiddos enjoy picking out new backpacks and lunch boxes every year. It’s a fun way for them to show their personalities, likes, and interests. Make sure you follow your schools rules about their packs as some can be very specific. Tip: Spray backpacks and lunch boxes with scotchgard or a fabric protector of some sort. Bonus, it’s also a water repellant for those spills and rainy days. 

• Not so fun items: Blue forms and immunizations. Make sure to have this ready so you aren’t calling your pediatrician the week school starts. Some grades and or sports require physicals annually so just make sure that is done at this visit to save you a trip back and forth for all the necessary documentation. Also, if your child has any allergies or sensitivities or meds requiring school forms, now would be a great time to make sure you have all of that lined up and documented accordingly. Tip: Make 2-3 copies. Give 1 to the teacher, 1 to keep in the school office, and keep a copy for yourself. You’ll thank me for it. 

• Label, label, label: Label EVERYTHING. You can print cute customizable ones yourself, order some from Etsy or Amazon, or even buy Avery labels at Target or Walmart. Pick 1 night and knock it all out…Bags, lunch boxes, supplies, water bottles, put their name on everything. Sweatshirts and hoodies seem to be our biggest “lost” item so make sure that tag gets a label of some sort. 

• School calendar: This is one I’m the worst at, but maybe by giving you guys some tips, I’ll take my own advice this year. There are so many options for this that there really is no excuse. Wall calendars for all to see, your cell phone that you’re on daily, a paper planner if you’re like me and need something tangible to make sure you remember it, whatever is easiest and most efficient for you. Go ahead and grab that school calendar in fill in all the field trips, teacher work days, holidays, lunch with the grands, donuts with dad, etc. Tip: As you’re getting ahead and planning all the things, remember to text family members important events they will need to know or want to be included in…Especially days off for school closure when you may need someone to help you with childcare. 

• Lunch money: Take time to set reminders on that fun calendar we just talked about or even in your phone to send more lunch money weekly or quarterly or annually or however you have that set up. Just go ahead and take the time to jot that down so you don’t forget. Tip: It’s a smart idea to write down your login info and password somewhere you won’t forget…Like maybe on that calendar. 😉 If I speak about it enough, then maybe I’ll do it right? 

• Before/After School Care: Make sure you’ve arranged before or after school care for your kiddos. It’s also helpful if you can go ahead and create a back up plan at this time as well for things like sicknesses, working late, inclement weather days, etc. You’ll feel so much more at ease knowing you already have a plan and a back up plan in place in the event that something out of the ordinary does occur. 

• Bedtime: I am not going to tell you what time your children should be going to bed because every family is different and every childs needs are different. What I will tell you is that if your kiddos are like mine then summertime drastically interferes with any semblance of a normal bedtime routine and there is probably way more screen time allotted as well. Go ahead and do yourself a favor and start working on this before the night before school. Make sure they are going to bed at appropriate times and maybe limiting some screen time like you did 2-3 months ago when school was in session. Just decrease time up and time on by about 10 minutes each night and they will adjust just fine…Even if they’re kicking and screaming the whole way. 

• Picture perfect: Go ahead and splurge on your perfect back to school outfit (you know you’ll take 987 million pictures) and also a picture day outfit so you won’t be left with all the items and sizes that have been combed through if you wait until the last minute. Also, let them pick it out as much as possible (even if you just have to give them a couple of options). They will feel confident and like they were a part of the decision making process as well. Tip: We take back to school pictures 2 or 3 days before school starts so that’s one less thing to add to the chaos and madness on the first day of school. You could always even contact Amy P Photography for a back to school mini session so you’re guaranteed that perfect shot without having to pull teeth as you’re rushing out the door no doubt forgetting something.

• The Night Before School: Hopefully you have followed some of these so well you feel like you’re in complete control and chaos is no longer synonymous with the first day of school. You can relax knowing everything is done and they are in good hands and they can relax and not feel stressed and rushed on their first day back to school. Make it a fun night. Read a cool new back to school book, watch a fun movie, go out and enjoy dinner and talk about what this next school year will look like. Anything to ease both your mind and their minds is an A+.