By Tyler R. Morrissey
It’s that time of year again that some parents love and some children loath. Pretty soon bus stops all across the Northeast will be busy once again as kids go back to school. For some families, the back to school season is a chance to give your home a fresh start, as well as help your children get ready to hit the books. We’ve gathered a few tips to get your household started on the right path.
Create a Space for Homework
We all know the school day is never over when the final bell rings for the day. When kids come home they typically have homework to be completed that night and it’s important they have a comfortable space to do so. Homework varies at every age level, but there are some similarities in workspaces that fit students from kindergarten to high school. According to Houzz, you should pick a place where your child feels most comfortable. If he or she concentrates best in the heart of things, the kitchen table might be the best location. In whatever area of your home that you choose, make sure all the supplies they need are at arm’s reach so they don’t need to go hunting for pens or report covers.
Keep a Calendar and Routine
Without a calendar or daily routine our lives would become very un-organized. The same can be said about your children’s lives too. In a recent article by ABC News, experts say that easing kids into a typical school-night sleep schedule is crucial to starting the year off right. In addition to a bedtime routine, it’s important for your family to maintain a calendar with to-do lists so you don’t have to remember all of the day’s tasks off the top of your head. While many families opt for a shared e-calendar, a simple paper calendar in a centralized location within the home will work just as well.
Organize Your Food Pantry
Keeping a stocked food pantry is always important, but this becomes especially true during the academic school year. Kids will get off the bus and often crave a snack before dinner time, so keeping healthy snacks on hand is a must when everyone’s schedule gets busier. Good Housekeeping recommends organizing your kitchen cupboards by conquering storage solutions for reusable to-go containers once and for all. Store food containers alongside lunch boxes and thermoses for easy access and label the shelves so everyone knows where to put their belongings when the day is done.
Keeping Your Car on the Road
From car pools to soccer practice to daily errands, your car will also be going back to school this fall. Back to school time is the perfect time to make sure your vehicle is running properly. Automobile blog “Gotta Be Mobile” suggests checking a few different parts of your car to keep you and your family on the road. Having the right mix of coolant and water is important no matter where your child is going to school, as it provides freeze protection in the cold and keeps the right boiling point protection in hot weather. Problems with either of these can lead to an engine overheating, which could leave you stuck on the side of the road. Also important is taking good care of your vehicle’s tires by making sure there is plenty of tread on all four tires and that each tire is properly inflated. There is a small sticker inside the driver side door that should tell you the recommended tire pressure for your car.
Closet Care 101
Organizing your closet seems like a project best saved for a rainy day or even a snowy day in the winter, but getting your closet and your children’s closet in order can be key to getting everyone out the door in the morning. Helping your child go through old clothes or organize their latest fall apparel does not have to be a boring chore. Margarita Gokun Silver recently shared her story in The New York Times about how she would help her teenage daughter organize her closet and bond over articles of clothing from years past. For this writer, it became a yearly tradition to clean out the closet together that not only ended with some quality time, but also a clean space that made getting ready in the morning easier.
