Back to School Tips to save you Time, Money and Peace of Mind

Here is the latest KV Style article with timely Back To School tips. You can read it online or follow along here.

It is hard to believe that it in just one month the wee ones will be donning their backpacks and heading into a brand new shiny school year.

All at once you are probably feeling a sadness that summer break is winding down and at the same time excitement to get back to routines, and for many…some peace of mind and quiet.

Make a commitment to yourself this year to be in charge of this annual event and save a pile of stress, time and some money by getting organized and taking control.

Counting Sheep, getting the required ZZZZ’s

There is nothing worse than cranky sleep deprived children. Typically children need 9-10 hours of sleep a night. If you have to wake the wee ones at 7:00 am for school, then a bedtime of 9:00 will do it…giving a buffer of an hour to settle and actually get to sleep.

• Set a date a week or so before school starts and let the kiddies know that they will be getting back on schedule as far as sleep goes.
• Make sure they have an electronic game free hour before bed so their brains have time to come off the game high.
• Have them go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night, this will help them to adjust slowly to the change.

Cha Ching, the School Supplies

If you have a crew to shop for then you need a master list. By combining all the lists into one you have a complete picture of what you need. However, before you run out with your list in hand take a few minutes and dig through the supplies that were brought home at the end of the last school year.

Take the obvious garbage paper and recycle it. Sort out any pictures that are wall worthy and set aside for framing. The rest can be reused. Yes you can re-use school supplies, so what if the 32 page Hilroy book is now only 25 pages…you are saving your hard earned cash and it is good for the environment.

Once you have assessed what you already have, mark it off the list and you now have a complete picture ready for a marathon School Supply Shopping event.

Fuel for the brain, the School Lunch

As a parent, nutrition as well as simplicity are a priority for the school lunch.

I consulted the experts at Simply for Life in Quispamsis for some advice on this hot topic. Nela McHugh was delighted to share some great Lunch Box Tips that satisfy both requirements for simplicity and nutrition.

Ideally, a school lunch box would contain all or some of these items:

1. Fruit that is easy to pack such as apple, pear, banana or berries
2. Vegetables like carrot sticks, cucumber slices, celery or peppers and a yummy dip like hummus…which kids actually do like.
3. Whole grains – fiber! Like in granola bars, Kashi are the best for low sugar content. Home made pita chips are great with hummus as well. Perhaps some crackers or a wrap.
4. Protein like tuna, leftover meat from the evening before and cheese provide healthy protein choices.
5. Water…children need 1.5 to 2 liters a day so pack a water bottle.

Nela said. “But being realistic, it would be a wonderful thing to see at least one piece of fresh fruit and a fresh veggie in every kid’s lunch.”

I am going to add leftovers to this list. It is a quick, healthy lunch that is always a welcomed choice in our home.

Take the next month to purchase supplies, get the kids back to a regular sleeping routine and practice the lunch making so the kids learn how to prepare their own lunches.

By taking these simple steps you will set the tone for a successful school year.