Back to School Ready!

Written by KT, Contributing Writer

It is August 8th. But have you seen it? All the STUFF surrounding back to school? Lists, books, papers, pencils, crayons, glue, stickers, those stretchy book covers (no more paper bags?), calculators, new shoes, backpacks, pre-packaged school snacks, and big signs pointing you to the part of the store where all of this stuff is piled.

As a mother, I am terrified. I have been home from work since my second babe was born last April. That’s 16 months of it being ok to *maybe* shower and taking ~~20 minutes~~ 2 hours to get out of the house in the morning. I am worried that we aren’t going to make it out the door dressed every morning by 6am.

As a high school teacher, I look forward to the start of school. I love the idea of starting over. I like to create new things, change old things, make things better, meet new students, and make new connections. I love that after a summer of thinking about how I can do a better job, I actually get to change what I am doing and be better than the year before!

Whether “back to school” for you is in a building called a school – or in your home – these tips will hopefully make my your back to school a bit easier.

1. Breakfast

You’ve heard about it being the most important meal of the day – but I have a few more reasons why breakfast is important to these fresh off the summer learners! Have you checked out the snack options at schools? We have vending machines filled up with pop tarts, doritos, ice cream, red dyed drinks, and all kinds of unhealthy things! So starting the day fueled up with healthy protein rich breakfast that will last them to lunch is important. If you have time, pack a few healthy snacks to get them through the day too! Here is an easy – make in advance snack: Paradise Bites.

2. Freezer meals

Take one day in the next few weeks and dedicate it to fall & winter “fast food” prep – healthy mama style. First head to the garden, farm or farmers market – buy and chop a bunch of veggies. Put them in some big freezer bags with your favorite spices. Stock up on meat and stock too! Then… on brisk fall mornings – you have a crock pot starter ready! Add a chicken, roast, or pork to the pot, sprinkle in the veggies and some stock – and off you go! Here are some great ideas: Recipes from Your Freezer, Crock Pot Freezer Cooking, and of course… Pinterest.

3. Keep it fresh

We still have a few more weeks of gardening and farmers’ marketing left! Use that time to buy up tons of fresh fruits. Go peach picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking and FREEZE your pickings! I like to freeze fruit cleaned, dried, and on baking sheets. When it’s frozen I put it into smaller serving sized bags or containers. It will be a taste of summer in muffins, tarts, and mixed in with plain yogurt for the rest of the year.

4. Easy lunches and lunch boxes

Get your family some fun, reusable, lunch containers like these ones: Lunch Bots, Bento Boxes, Reusits, Squooshis, or even the divided ziplock containers! They are fantastic for days kids are leaving the house – or “packed” in the morning for lunch time during school at home. For lunchtime inspiration complete with healthy, whole foods, recipes and pretty pictures – check: 100 Days of Real Food Lunches, Bento Lunch Pictures (hover over the picture for the description)… or just search Pinterest… there are tons of ideas there!

5. Those dang lists.

I am sure if you’re at home looking at these lists sent by schools to your house – you’re wondering what the heck we are doing with all those clorox wipes (eek! not on my list…) and crayons. I promise my house isn’t clean enough or well decorated enough to be using them there. We do stock up our closets in the beginning of the year with all of this stuff. If it is too much for your family please please contact the teacher. If you need help getting supplies for your students – most likely your school district can help. I promise you’re not alone – and we are happy to help you get what you need. Now… if you do have a long list, or you’re homeschooling this year- keep on top of those sales coming up in the next few weeks! Glue for 19 cents and crayons for a penny sometimes – if you shop around you can probably ~~totally stress yourself out~~ cheaply find the supplies you’re looking for.

6. Keeping a family schedule

Ok… maybe I am preaching to the choir of people more technologically advanced than I am… but get yourself and your family on google calendar (or something else that syncs for you and your tween, teen, and grown up family members – my parents are even on mine!). It has prevented lots of mix ups and arguments since my husband and I started using it. We can both see it at work – BEFORE we schedule a late meeting or early morning. My parents can check our schedule before coming up for a visit. We love it!

7. Support, trust, and a positive attitude

Children who are supported and trusted to do their best and held to high (achievable) expectations, are students who will succeed. Our positive attitude, whether we are in a home school teacher role or supporting a teacher from home will encourage our learners to be positive as well. If we model joy in lifelong learning it ~~might~~ will rub off on the kids!

8. Unschedule

Once you’re back into the swing of things – it’s easy to be scheduled every day and hour of the week. Take some time now to go through your calendar and schedule some unscheduled, unplugged, afternoons and nights.

9. Focus on the Family

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all you HAVE to do during the school year. Curriculum that HAS to be COVERED, sports that are played, concerts, meetings, youth groups, travel teams… but remember to leave some time for your family. On your unscheduled days – get some old school family board games going, camp out in the living room, order in, have a drive in movie (in boxes decorated like cars), snuggle up and have your youngest reader read to you, take out all the craft supplies and dump them out – let the kids go wild, let your kids outside in the mud when it’s raining, go apple picking… focus on what’s important in our busy lives.