School Daze
If your schedule is jam-packed with everything from soccer practice to school orientation, you’re not alone. Back-to-school time often means being on the go 24/7, which can be fun yet leave busy parents frazzled. Here’s your homework: make sure you don’t lose track of all of your children’s school stuff amid all the coming and going! Instead, use these practical tips to get an “A+” in organization, and the coming school year is sure to run that much more smoothly.
Head of the Class
With Art Do You Part: It’s tempting to want to keep all of your child’s artsy creations, but over time, they can make a bigger mess than spilled paint. Keep everything in check by starting a keepsake box that can house all of the art assignments throughout the school year. At the end of each year, review and keep only those that are truly special. As for the rest? Take photos and create a special scrapbook that you and your child can cherish in the years to come! (Even better, take photos of and recycle all of the assignments, and start fresh with the keepsake box next year.)
In It To Win It: Permission slips, forms, and tuition bills, oh my! Don’t let the paper trail lead you astray—you can keep everything centralized by setting up an inbox for school items that require parental attention. Depending on the volume of paper and nature of the correspondence, set aside time at least once a week to deal with these pending items.
Making It Easy: Though rewarding, homework, extracurricular activities and other commitments can leave your children—and you—feeling overwhelmed. Simplify the chaos by creating checklists and a shared family calendar that will keep you and your little ones in sync. (If doing it digitally, try a service like Famjama or Cozi, both of which get high marks from PC Mag.)
