Shopping for back-to-school supplies isn’t the way it used to be, that’s for sure. Yes, some schools still send home sheets of specific items for your child’s use, but other methods are showing up too.
Believe it or not, they might even be easier than shopping for an itemized list of 25 things.
Take a look:
Community School Supplies
Elementary schools in particular are very interested in community supplies where there are no “good” pencils or erasers. Each kid has the very same items, replenished all year round. Usually the lead teacher for every grade will start a list and email to the parents. Parents can then sign up to buy a recommended amount, say $25, from the list. It could be $10 of the prescribed notebooks and another $15 in paper towels. The total purchase price and combo of items is your choice to make. The best part is the teacher attaches the Amazon link! Easy. Point and click!
Another way to simplify back-to-school shopping is taking advantage of a school fundraiser. Many times, a parent organization will contact a company who will box and ship your child’s supplies directly to the school. The organization makes some money and the student’s supplies are waiting for the first day of school arrival.
Hopefully, your school participates in one of these programs. If so, you have even more time to tackle a few more tasks that will help the new school year start successfully.
Tips to Make the School Year Easier
- Preparing any meal is time-consuming, and time is what we all lack. Use the last month of summer break to start baking and cooking anything that can be frozen and pulled out for time-saving meals.
- It’s always a challenge to find healthy snacks kids will eat. There are many wonderful snack box subscriptions online. Give one a try and see how happy everyone is when a box of goodies arrives each month.
- Pack those lunches the night before!
- For kids who buy lunch, make sure those accounts are valid with money to spend.
- Little ones need everything labeled, so order early and attach labels to anything you’d want returned. You should see the mountain of lost and found items at school.
- Some parents like to have a version of business cards to swap during the school year. Cards with your contact information, children’s names, and even a picture helps with meeting new friends.
- Get the family calendar ready with important school dates, as well as club events and practice and game days.
- Kids need to train their bodies for school hours. Starting a month before, reestablish bed and awake hours. Kids who have trouble sleeping might benefit from sound machines or night lights.
- Kids old and young require sleep, so do as much the night before as possible to avoid too-early mornings. Packing school bags and prepping for after-school activities makes a big difference in the amount of sleep a child gets. They also can lay their clothes out the night before (or plan for the entire week).
- Older kids might have less anxiety if they have an emergency kit in their locker or backpack. Fill it with face wipes, deodorant, breath freshener, stain remover, or feminine products.
- New schools and school related activities are scary. Avoid as much uncertainty as much as possible by attending orientations and open houses. Meet the bus driver if possible and practice opening those pesky lockers.
Contacting your nearest School Liaison Officer is a great way to meet new military kids. She may have a buddy program to recommend and can make you aware of the varying options available to military kids to help them become successful students.
Back-to-school season is a crazy mix of excitement and trepidation. A little preparation really does make the school year go much more smoothly!
By Dawn M. Smith for MilitaryByOwner
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