Back to School Shopping and Organizing

It is that time again...time to shop for school supplies, new clothes (or uniforms) and get back into the bedtime routine. It is difficult when the summer often means a more relaxed schedule, lazier days and often vacation or camp fun. But, the earlier we get back into the groove for the first day of school, the better. To help ease the pain, here are several sites to help you organize your to-do list and ramp up into high gear for back to school.

Organize and buy school supplies - Check the school supplies list and then go through your crafts bins and closets to see if you have left over supplies you can use. Then, scour ads and coupon sites for the best deals. You still have time to do this! You may also want to try dollar stores for some good deals on basic supplies. For backpacks suggestions, check out the Family Education web site. Some backpack companies, like Jansport, have lifetime guarantees and will repair or replace backpacks free.

Organize and swap or buy school clothes - Most parents have a good network of other moms and dads who are also going through back-to-school. Instead of everyone buying new clothes, see if you can swap clothes. Kids usually outgrow clothes before they outwear them. So, you all save money that way. If you still need to supplement clothes, stock up on basics like solid long sleeved shirts, jeans, sweaters and skirts. There are many places with back-to-school sales right now such as Old Navy, Kohls, LandsEnd, Sears, Macys and The Gap. Or you could even hit the second-hand stores or check online at Craigslist or eBay.

Label clothing - Any sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets or extra change of clothes should be labeled to avoid losing them. It is best to do this before the school year starts and you have a busy morning and forget.

Make medical appointments - If your child is starting Kindergarten, he/she has most likely already seen the dentist and had his/her five year well check as that is one of the criteria for entering the public school system. If he/she has not, you will want to do this before school starts to show they are current on vaccinations and seen a dentist. If your children are not new to the school, you may still want to get all those doctor, dentist, allergist etc. appointments out of the way before school starts to start fresh. For a back-to-school health checklist, click here.

Mark the calendar - Start to write important dates on the calendar and circle the first day of school so your children can count down the days until school.Fill out paperwork - If you received any paperwork in the mail, fill it out ahead of time to be able to drop it off promptly the first day of school.

Start a school folder - Make a new folder for school newsletters, event flyers and PTA information so you will know where to put them and find them. Once school starts, the whirlwind begins!

Set up a study area - If you don't already have a designated homework/study area, make sure you have it set up by the time the first day of school comes. If you need to buy a lamp or extra supplies for this area, you can do it the same time as you buy school supplies. Your children can then be introduced to the area and even start using it before school starts. This area should be distraction and clutter free for the best results. Organize this space so all your kids can personalize it, including file folders and/or bins for each child to use.

Get back in touch with school friends - Now that everyone is starting to return from camp and vacation, it is a good time to re-connect with former school friends. Make a playdate, sleep over or just a time to meet for ice-cream to get back in touch with your classmate friends. It will make it easier to start the first day if the connections have already been made.