Back To School Hacks: For Busy Moms

It’s almost that time of year! Plan ahead for a smooth TRANSITION back to school. Here’s all the back to school hacks you’ll need to be 100% ready for the big day.

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Summer time is almost over. Time to put away all the beach toys and games and prepare to start school soon.
Going back to school may bring a mixed bag of emotions. Your kids may be excited, overwhelmed, and maybe a bit anxious. Ease their back to school worries, by being as prepared as you can be for the big day back to school. I’ve put together these handy-dandy back to school hacks, to help you quell your first day of school uncertainties. We are all in this together & we can do it mom!

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When you think about it, there is soo many things to do – completing school forms, meal & snack prepping, back to school shopping, and learning new school routines and schedules.

Plan ahead and start preparing early to stay on top of back to school essentials.
Make this back to school year the best one yet!

No more back to school worries! Here’s 6 back to school hacks to make your summer to school year transition a breeze!

know what supplies you need before the school year starts

Time for cute colour coordinated backpacks and lunchboxes, pencils and notebooks.
Schools usually provide a “Back to School Supply List” for your child’s grade a couple of weeks before the school year starts. Take some time to look this list of supplies over before heading out to the store.

My daughter is in Kindergarten, so the supplies that she needs are already in our home. Since kindergarten is a lot of playing and crafting, we usually keep crafting supplies like glue, scissors, pencils, erasers, markers and pencil crayons in a rolling utility cart, to keep everything in one place. For back to school I usually just buy an extra set of everything to put into her pencil case.

Buy an appropriately sixed backpack to put all of your child’s new school supplies in. A matching lunchbox and water bottle are always a cool topic of conversation on that uneasy first day.

go to back to school shopping!

Start the new school year in style! I’ll admit, back to school shopping is one of my favourite parts of the school year! I mean, who doesn’t love buying new clothes for your kids!?

If your child wears a uniform, I would recommend buying one uniform for every day of the week, plus one extra if you can.

For no-uniform schools, while we all want our children to look their best, kids get messy. Buy practical, durable clothing to last countless days of outdoor recess. Don’t forget socks and undergarments, always buy more of these than you need! For some reason, socks always seem to go missing in our house!

The same goes for indoor and outdoor shoes. Rainboots and comfortable, durable shoes that cover their entire foot are your best bet.

Let your child pick out a super-cool first day of school outfit, to walk into school looking & feeling like their best!

create + practice back to school schedule

Soon the late nights, and sleeping in mornings will be no more. Take some time to create your back to school schedules and routines in your household.

What are your school year expectations for your children? What chores (if any) will your children be responsible for? Create chore charts for each child to help them remember their responsibilities.
What would your after school routines and schedules look like?

I recommend to start practicing your back to school routines and schedules around 1-2 weeks before the start of the school year. Practice what must be done once they come home from school. What will be their morning routines? Where will they wait for the school bus? Where does their backpack go after school, and what healthy snacks can they munch on until dinner?

Getting into the routine before school starts will be an absolute lifesaver when the school year has begun. Knowing what their after school time will look like will definitely help make the transition to school year schedules much smoother.

meal & snack plan for school days

If trying to figure out what to make for dinner everyday wasn’t enough, add lunches and snacks into the mix. Be a champion in the kitchen by creating weekly meal plans and grocery lists to take one less stress off your plate (literally!). Add quick family favorite’s to make lunches and dinners a breeze.

Stock up on healthy, nut free snacks and try yummy freezer meals that you can prepare in advance to save precious time in the mornings and evenings.

Tip: Prepare lunches and snacks the night before for a faster morning routine.

Complete back to school forms / immunizations & labels early

Set some time aside to take your time to fill out all required school forms and documents. Let your child’s school know of any allergies and illnesses that your child may have. If you have moved or changed phone numbers, don’t forget to update your information.
Double check your children’s immunization forms, to make sure all the requires vaccinations and shots have been taken, and your children are fully protected at school.

LABEL EVERYTHING. Label absolutely everything that belongs to your child(ren). Children can sometimes be forgetful and leave their belongings hanging around, so its helpful to have their name on everything, for teachers and assistants to keep track of their stuff.
You can label things like extra clothes, water bottles, lunch boxes. notebooks and backpacks. If your child(ren) wear uniforms, label every article. Uniforms all look the same, and they aren’t cheap to keep replacing if your child looses them.
My favourite personalized labels stay on through the washing machine and the dryer! They truly last all year! Buy them here.

extra Fun back to school hacks

Make fun personalized gifts for your child(ren)s teachers and assistants
Book an appointment to your child’s favourite barber or hair dresser for a cool new back to school hairstyle
Buy (or DIY) First Day of School Signs for back to school photoshoots
Host a Back to School Party on the last weeekend before school
Treat your kids to a yummy, first day of school breakfast

have an awesome start to the school year!

Make back to school an exciting time! No more back to school worries thanks to these essential back to school hacks. Remember, start preparing early for less stressful school year transition.

How does your family prepare for the back to school season?
Have any essential back to school hacks you’d like to share? Leave them below in the comment section! Let’s help each other!