Ten Tips for a Healthy, Safe & Successful School Year |Frugal Front Porch

School’s starting soon! I can’t believe how fast the summer has flown by! ;D

For my bunch the first day of school is the day after Labor Day. From past year’s experience, the first few weeks can be rather difficult for everyone. Getting accustomed to the rigorous school schedule can be tough but who can blame us. For three months we’ve stayed up late, slept in, at whenever the hunger bug hit, and watched way more television and video games than we ever should. We’ve played outside, rode bikes, swam, fished, hiked and have generally had an easy going unstructured summer! Give me a “HOO RAA!” for summer fun!

To get the school year rolling as smoothly and easily as possible for ALL OF US, I’ve got a few tips you might find helpful in your home too.

Get back to the back to school schedule EARLY. Two weeks before school starts, we start getting back into “the routine”. In the tub at a regular time, in bed by 8:30, lights out by 9, etc.
Attend the back to school picnic. Our school hosts a back to school picnic a few weeks before school begins. It’s potluck so everyone eats well and the kids play on the playground. School officials introduce new staff members, mingle with the parents and kids, and all in all just have a carefree afternoon on the school grounds. It gets everyone excited about the new school year.
Wrap up end of the summer fun. If we’ve planned to do something like a mini vacation, camping or visiting a certain place we haven’t gotten around to yet, we’re sure to get it done before school starts.
Shopping. Shopping. Shopping. I hit the stores with the back to school list a few weeks before starts to ensure J’s ready on day one. Nothing can be more frazzling than showing up to school unprepared. It’s sets a negative tone for the year so I make sure he’s stocked up on all the classroom goods!
Don’t forget a teacher’s stash. I try to send a little something for the teacher at the beginning of the year. Nothing fancy – dry erase markers, extra packages of markers, pens, pencils, etc to help get her year kicked off smoothly. Plus it never hurts to grease the wheels a bit, if you know what I mean! ;D
Get the Back to School Do done! I like to get J’s hair a trim before starting school so he’s not shaggy looking on the first day! It’s a simple thing but OH SO important…especially as they get older!
Establish the after school day routine. After school, J has a few minutes I let him relax and chill after a hard day at school. He gets a snack, watches some TV or listens to this MP3 player or even plays with a Wild Man. While he does this, I can go through his back pack to see what he needs to do, read notes from the teacher, etc. By 4:30 he’s starting his homework.
Have dinner on the table at a decent hour. Who wants to rush through a meal only to immediately go to bed? It’s incredibly unhealthy not to mention creates a messy kitchen I have to clean late at night. I get dinner on the table between 5 and 6pm to give everyone plenty of time to enjoy the meal I prepare while giving their tummies time to digest all that wonderful food before hitting the sack. It also gives me plenty of time to get the kitchen cleaned before heading to bed myself.
Give ‘em a hot breakfast. Homemade pop tarts, oatmeal and raisin cookies, biscuits, mini breakfast pies with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese can all be prepared over the weekend and frozen for a super quick weekday breakfast.
Establish realistic expectations. We routinely talk with J about acceptable versus unacceptable in-school behavior. We also discuss grades and assignments. J’s Autism creates a unique academic situation for him but we expect cooperation and his best efforts (whatever that may be!). Anything less, is unacceptable.

What are some of your tips for a healthy, safe, and successful school year???

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Airwear blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, visit http://airwear.twittermoms.com/about.