Start Back-to-School Planning Before the Rush Begins

Before you know it, the summer will be gone and it will be time to get children ready to go back to school. Don’t wait until the last minute. You can start getting ready now.

• Sort through your children’s wardrobe. Determine which clothes they can still wear, which need to be repaired and which need to be replaced. Have a "try-on" session. Are there any jeans with knees still intact? Did the long pants that fit last June suddenly become high waters? Make a list of things your child needs for the fall.
• Collect school gear. Where are the backpacks, lunch boxes and other school items? Are any of these still serviceable? Thoroughly clean those items your child will use to start school. Add to your shopping list the things you need to buy.
• Gather school supplies. There is no rule that says that all crayons, pencils and pens must be new. Collect what’s left of last year’s supplies. Then add to your list of things to buy. Some teachers require certain types and sizes of notebooks. Buy the basics, but wait for the teacher’s list for special items.
• Watch for sales. Remember that your children do not need a complete wardrobe by the first day. The first month or two of school the weather is usually warm and the kids are still wearing their summer clothes anyway. Wait for price cuts to replace needed items.
• Stock up on school lunch foods. If your children are going to pack their lunches, begin thinking about what they will take to school. Start gathering nonperishable items now.
• Set back the bedtime clock. Chances are, as the days have gotten longer, bedtime has gotten later. Slowly start moving up bedtime and waking your children up earlier in the mornings. They need a chance to get adjusted to a new schedule.
• Clear out and outfit your homework areas. These spots have taken on new lives over the summer. The desk or table may have become an art center, a block construction site or a gathering place for summer junk. Reestablish these sites for studying. Make sure they provide plenty of light and are stacked with paper, pencils and other necessary supplies.
• Make a school information folder. Designate a three-ring binder or a folder as a place for all those classroom newsletters, homework policies and other parent reference materials. Give each child a file or notebook where they can put the papers and art projects they want to keep.
• Hang an erasable academic calendar. A central calendar can keep your family organized.
• Designate areas for school things. Do your kids drop everything when they walk in the door? Give each child a place to hang up backpacks and coats and to store shoes. Also identify an in/out box where they can put things that need your attention, such as permission slips or homework folders.