It's that time again! Say goodbye to the lazy days of summer and hello to the school day routines of bus rides, backpacks and hitting the books.
Here are some tips to help your and your children adjust to the transition. School days can be particularly chaotic when there are mutliples in the family, so I've compiled some strategies for saving money, time and sanity too. Here's to a successful school year!
Calm the Chaos
Getting back into a daily school routine can be tough after a relaxing summer, especially if you have twins or other multiples. Start establishing a regular bedtime and wake up time about two weeks before school actually starts. Restful sleep is important. If your multiples share a room, they may have difficulty settling down at night.
The temptation to play is great when their twin is in close proximity! Consider putting them to bed in separate rooms and then returning them to their own beds later in the night.
Review and establish priorities for morning tasks -- getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, etc. Once school starts, get a jump on the morning by doing as much as possible the night before.
Decide on outfits and lay out clothes for each of your multiples. Set out nonperishable breakfast foods and set the table. Review homework and paperwork and assemble backpacks. Pack lunches. The more you do the night before, the smoother the send off in the morning.
Keeping school stuff organized will prevent a lot of last minute stress on school days. Consider creating an individual station for each child. Designate a specific place to store his or her backpack, lunchbox, jacket and paperwork. Locating the stations near an entry door reduces the chance that stuff will get waylaid and misplaced. Some families rely on file organizers or stacking trays to keep track of each child's individual paperwork, such as homework assignments, class lists, permission slips, book orders, etc.
Next: Make it Meaningful
How do you stay organized during the school year? Post in our forum.
