School days are returning and who wouldn’t love some money to put towards their children’s school supplies? I am excited to participate again in the Bloggy Giveaways and would like to offer up a $25 Target Gift Card to one lucky winner!
Please leave a comment by Friday (08/01) at 7PM Eastern Time and tell me one way that you keep your family or children organized for returning to school. I am looking for tips for getting your dinner on the table, keeping paperwork organized, managing your day, etc…
I can’t wait to hear your ideas and please look around my site, especially if you haven’t been here before. I specialize in sharing ideas on money management, home management, and ideas for creative parenting.
Don’t forget to head over to the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival and enter to win a whole bunch of cool prizes!
Ohhh there are 666 posts. I’d better post quick!
I like to set the table for dinner WAY early, like 2:00. This really helps, because it’s very hectic at my house at dinner time. Anything I can do ahead of time really helps.
rlgrady [at] yahoo dot com
[Reply]
We homeschool, so we will be going back to school earlier than the local schools. I am planning to have a large amount of meals already prepared and in my freezer, so I can just pop them in the oven during those early, hectic weeks of school.
I also have a chart for each child to check off during their early morning routine. I find if I do this, my boys actually comb their hair in the morning:) At the end of the week they get something special if they’ve done it faithfully each day (ice cream,or a dollar store trip,ect).
[Reply]
I actually am not there yet. My son is only 18 months old!
Thanks for offering it!
princesslimey (at) gmail (dot) com
[Reply]
Holy moley, roly poly! This is amazing! Keeping visual lists of chores and things to remember makes it easier for kids to help out with the worry. Keeping them in the mud room or near the door makes it easier to double check it before you leave. irrelevantheart (AT) gmail (DOT) com! Thank you!
[Reply]
i am new to your site and am on the
quest for an organized life!!
I have started cooking once a week-usually Sunday and make a menu for the whole week.It limits our eating out and lets me put healthy food on the table w/o thinking about what the entree will be.
I Love TARGET!!!
[Reply]
a little help w/ supplies would be awesome!!
[Reply]
We decide on and lay out the clothing for the next day before going to bed. It makes for a much smoother morning and eliminates last-minute running around trying to find socks or some other part of the outfit. It also makes it easier for my husband to help my younger daughter ready — he doesn’t have to think about what to put her in.
[Reply]
I have a separate binder for each child with folders inside for different categories relating to their extra-curricular activities, etc. They know to put everything in there they need me to see or sign and I go through it every evening and sign, mark dates on calendars, write checks, etc. It works pretty well.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
[Reply]
I have a separate binder for each child with folders inside for different categories relating to their extra-curricular activities, etc. They know to put everything in there they need me to see or sign and I go through it every evening and sign, mark dates on calendars, write checks, etc. It works pretty well.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
[Reply]
Have to have a game plan for the week, especially easy to prepare meals. Get everything ready Sunday night and make cooking as easy as possible.
[Reply]
Everyday when I pick up my son (now going in 6th grade) from the bus stop I ask what homework does he have tonight that is a) due tomorrow b) due this week c) due more long term. Then before we get home we have verbally time-managed his homework and prioritized what needs to happen and in what order. Once home, this verbal list gets transferred into his daytimer.
Big projects like research papers or those “projects” we break into tiny pieces and do a bit every night, and his friends are so jealous that he hit all the internal project dates with more than required done, and always has time to do the extra credit at the end.
So, basically time-managing and prioritizing homework tasks is the single most important thing we do.
Secondly, I stock up on “project” supplies like posterboard, acrylic paint, modeling clay, etc. and school supplies like notebook paper, pens, colored pencils, etc. when they are supercheap on sale, knowing we will use it during the year. This way, last minute needs are a “run up to the attic” not a “run to Office Depot”.
[Reply]
Keep your paper work organized by having a notebook with dividers for each kid, and a three-hole punched folder after each divider.
[Reply]
With four kids in school this year it will be critical that I keep all the papers from piling up when they come home from school. I use a colored folder for each child that lives in my desk drawer. The kids and I both know that is where to stash papers and where to find things we need. I go through them when I can and organize.
Thanks! Michele michele@tcsix.com
[Reply]
I am VERY organized. I do almost everything the night before, so I am not barking commands first thing in the morning and I can just focus on getting my son to get himself dressed.
[Reply]
The kids always spend a long time every morning picking out their clothes. I got them a hanging narrow shelf. Each sunday they pick out all their clothes for that week and put them in each of the compartments. Then if they have to take a text book to school a certain day or their homework they can put that in their too. This really helps them so they don’t forget what they need.
[Reply]
I am a list maker, so our fridge becomes the new “target” spot of organization. I write all that is needed for each child and adult as well as the dinner meals for the month. no list=no organization in our house!
[Reply]
We set up a new routine and chore rotation and spend a few weeks easing into it before school starts.
Thanks for the giveaway.
[Reply]
We would love these…one way we keep organized is to label everything and keep it color coordinated too. Each child can have a separate color for their items ie sharpener, pencil case, erasers, etc.
Kayla
princessesindisguise (at) yahoo (dot) com
[Reply]
Try to get as much done as possible each night before bed – get clothes ready, lunches, backpacks, things that need signing, etc. Even lay out the breakfast dishes, cereal boxes. Makes morning much smoother. Thank you for the giveaway. cguill88 at yahoo dot com
[Reply]
I’ve given each kid their own labeled cubbie, and made a big deal about how it’s just like their cubbie at school. Now they’re really careful to put everything that needs to go back to school straight into the cubbie at the end of the day.
[Reply]
unload the backpack and reload for the next day as soon as you get home
[Reply]
We gather as a family with our planners on Sunday and go through the events of the week. Work, school, sports, chores, and personal activities. Then we plan who will need help, transportation, money or other resources like snacks or special dinner time. The week goes much smoother because there are not any surprises.
[Reply]