Plan it Out: Back to School Readiness Week #1

Updated 6/24/2020: Back to school readiness launched in the summer of 2019. Since the 2019-2020 school year, many things have changed but the prep is still the same with some minor adjustments!

Welcome back to Back to School Readiness.

If you missed the introduction post you probably missed the checklist so make sure you Click Here for the Check List!

This week we are going to focus on schedules and dates. The goal here is to not spread yourself too thin or overbook yourself this upcoming school year.

If you had kids in school during the 2019-2020 Covid-19 school year you know how important it is to have a schedule. We all got tossed a big curveball when the virus hit. For some of you, the 2020-2021 school year may go back to normal but for many, there will be wonky 50% remote learning 50% school learning schedules. This can be really hard on a parent. So, let’s make sure we get the schedules squared away first!

How to Organize your Calendar

Step 1: Talk to your kid/kids about playing any sports or joining any clubs. This one simple conversation will help you plan your shopping list and school year more then you will know.

This is so important! One thing I have learned in my adventures of motherhood is kids change their minds A LOT! Don’t assume they want to play the same sport or join the same clubs they did last year.  TALK TO THEM! If they change their mind that is cool (even if they were the most bad-ass flute player or football star) joining different clubs and sports broadens their minds, it makes them more rounded.

Once you know what they want.  Make sure this is what they really want, yes be a nag, make sure once you sign them up there is no getting out of it. This is a commitment they are making not just to themselves but to you and anyone else involved so they better be sure.   Then once they are 98.99% sure (let’s face it, it is rare a kid is 100% sure) sign them up.

Step 2: Plan what weekend/weekends you will go back to school shopping. Does your state have a back to school tax-free weekend? Is there a special day you and your kids go out to get everything? Or are their certain stores (shoes, clothes, supplies) that have one-day sales in your town? Block off the day or days for shopping.

I know this sounds odd to most, especially if you do not live in a place where there is such thing as tax-free weekends. The truth is most people just say oh I will shop and get things when they are on sale or when I need them.  This leads to stress, and chaos, not to mention buying things you don’t truly need and spending money you don’t need to spend.

What is a tax-free weekend? In some states, they set aside a weekend (around the start of school) and things like school supplies, shoes, and clothes (it varies state to state) are tax-free.

Want to know if your state has a tax-free weekend and what they offer that weekend?  Click here.

Plan one weekend you will knock it all out.  This will also turn into your goal date for getting your house organized.  So, plan accordingly.  More on this in weeks to come.

Step 3: Write down school orientation/back to school night/meet the teacher night. Make it a point to go it is not only good for the student but also helps the teacher get to know you and your needs for your child.

School is just around the corner and you have yet to hear from the school on when meeting the teacher is or back to school orientation is.  Your summer has been jammed packed with both work and play.  You have lost complete track of time.  You finally get a chance to log into the school’s site just to find out Back to School Night is just a few days away, and your schedule is booked. What are you going to do?

Does that sound familiar?  Avoid it lookup or call the school district’s office and find out these dates and mark the day down now. 

Step 4: Write down the first day of school. Seeing it daily keeps it from creeping up on you.

The first day of school creeps up on us during the Summer.  Write it down so you will not feel the “where did the time go” stress and time crunch.

Step 5: Pick and write out the day/days you will get the first day of school backpack and outfit ready. The sooner you do it the sooner it is done and you can forget about it.

This sounds like such a small detail… why bother.  There is always that last minute did we get everything packed stress.  If you plan on getting it done early it is one less thing to worry about when the first day of school arrives.

Step 6: Write down all personal events (birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, holidays). This is a step that is often overlooked. However, in doing this one step you will save a lot of “Ops I overbooked myself,” moments.

We have all had those moments that we overbooked ourselves. Before the school year starts and the school event dates come pouring in, and you make commitments you can not keep, write down personal events that mean the most to you and avoid the headache.

Step 7: Write down all school events, breaks, and holidays. There is nothing worse when you have little ones and the day before realizing there is no school, you have no sitter and a meeting you can’t reschedule. Let’s avoid the panic and plan ahead.

Most school calendars you can find on line.

There is nothing worse than finding out on a Friday that there is no school on Monday and all your sitters are booked.  Know ahead so you can plan ahead.

Use this sheet to list all the people that may be able to babysit your child and start planning who, when, and where your child will be when there is no school.

It is also nice to be ready for babysitters. A simple list of contacts, meals for the day, and all other important information can be put on one sheet and pinned to the refrigerator putting mommy’s mind at ease and the babysitters.

Step 8: Write done Sporting Events, Concerts, and Field Trips. These change throughout the year but do the best you can to write them down as soon as you know the schedule.

Sometimes you can’t do this because things are not planned that far ahead I get that but this is just about being one step ahead.  Know ahead so you can plan your life around it without a headache.

Step 9: Write down when progress reports, report cards, and IEP meetings are supposed to be due. If you have a young one this will help remind you that a parent-teacher conference will be around that time.

As a mom with a special needs child, I know how overwhelming it can be to not only have parent-teacher conferences but also IEP meetings and the occasional call to come in and speak to someone about your child.  Again, plan ahead and make sure that the teachers and the school knows you would like at least a 1-2 week notice before any meeting unless it is an emergency.

If you have a special needs child also look into getting an advocate to go to the IEP meetings with you. This will ensure your kid gets the best care and educational help possible.

Step 10: Write down any Dr. Appointment your kid has scheduled. Most places have you book months in advance. Once you get busy it is easy to forget. Write it down now makes planning that much smoother in the future.

That is why on the checklist it recommends you call now and make an appointment to get your kid in for their school physical now.  Make sure if the school needs any paperwork, records, or prescription you have the school documents ready to go when you go in. 

Also, if your kid needs a follow up schedule now and mark it down. 

If you wait too long to do this your Dr.’s office will be booked, and you won’t be able to get your kid in until after the start of school.  If you have been there you know what kind of problems this can cause and trust me, you don’t want to deal with these issues or stress.

Oh, and because my former occupation was in the dental field make sure you get those pearly whites polished and any cavities filled before school starts too.

Step 11: Write down all class parties including your kids’ birthday. If you plan on picking up snacks plan the day to run to the store to pick up snacks and treats. To save on the hustle and bustle of running too many errands in a week I try to match this snack and treat pick up with my weekly grocery trip. If you are ordering cupcakes or bakery goods in advance write down “call bakery,” on that date so the small details don’t slip through the cracks.

Okay guys, confession time.  A few years ago, between putting the house on the market, getting ready to move to another state, the start of school, and just life, in general, I forgot all about my daughter’s birthday celebration in September.  I know it was a BAD MOM move, but it can happen. The day before the celebration at school I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I did get everything done, but still.  Don’t be me! Avoid the stress and write it down and markdown when to order the cupcakes.

Step 12: If you have a soon to be College student start talking college tours, when to go, applications/fees and application deadlines. Write it down when you know.

Help plan for a better future for your kid.

Sit down, find out what colleges they are thinking about, investigate application deadlines and fees, as well as look into tours. 

This can be an overwhelming and exciting time for both you and your child.  Give yourself and your kid time to process and enjoy this experience.

Plan it Bottom Line with Printable Calendar

Well, there you have the important days to plan. There will be a few more planning details in the weeks to come, but this here is the biggest and most important chunk of planning.

Here is another bit of advice digital is great, but what if you get hacked or your phone doesn’t back up these dates, worse a virus or you lose your phone or your son drowns it in the dog’s water bowl. If you choose to put it on a digital calendar just print yourself a hard copy and keep it somewhere just in case. 

I have it on my digital calendar as well as a physical planner. I just find it easier to review a physical calendar then a digital one.  If everything for that day won’t fit in the square then I overbooked myself and I know I need to rearrange things.

Grab your free printable calendar!

Remote Learning Takes a Little More Planning

Now with remote learning there comes a little more planning. I found we (my second grader, my preschooler, and my self) were able to get all school work done in just 2 hours a day once we got organized.

At the beginning of every week (usually Sunday night) I would review their assignments for the upcoming week and determine what tasks we focused on when. Then every day I would set aside one hour to do work with my Jane and one hour to do work with Eli.

That is why this year I also created a weekly planner as well as a day planner for everyone. I know one of the biggest struggles for me as I worked from home and my husband was an essential worker. Therefore when it came to remote learning I had to squeeze it into my already busy 8-10 hour workday.

The first few weeks were hard and I was only sleeping only a few hours a night just to keep up with everything. Then I realized if I got organized set aside some time just for school every day it would give to time in the day to focus on my work without interruptions, plus give my kids the help they needed.

I had to get up an hour earlier in order to accomplish everything, but once we got into the groove they were done with school in a matter of hours and I was done with work by 3-4 in the afternoon.

I hope to see you next week when we dive headfirst into getting your house nice and organized with my do little by little to ease the stress method.

All Posts for Back to School Readiness

• Back to School Readiness: Introduction
  • Grab your checklist
• Back to School Readiness Week #1: Plan it out
  • We talk about getting that calendar ready and organized for the year so you don’t overbook yourself or spread yourself too thin.
    • Calendar print out included
• Back to School Readiness Week #2: Basic Organizing
  • We talk about cleaning out the house of things you no longer need and ways to save money on school supplies and clothing
    • Detailed shopping list print out included
• Back to School Readiness Week #3: Extreme Organization
  • This week is optional. We talk about ways extra ways to get your life and house organized from building a command station in the house to meal planning even talking about getting your kids up and a week’s worth of clothing organized.
    • Meal Plan, Chore List, Design a Command Center print out included
• Back to School Readiness Week #4: Morning Vs Night
  • We talk about routines and things you can do to get your kids involved and organized.
    • A How to Create your own kid’s routine sheet step by step tutorial is included.
• Back to School Readiness Week #5: Home Ready
  • We talk about getting your home organized and ready. Whether it be for remote learning or homework there should always be a spot for school work and school supplies. Plus simple ways to make home-packed lunches easy.
    • Get some creative and delicious lunch recipes in this post
• Back to School Readiness Week #6: The Busy Cooks Guide
  • Who has time to cook!?! These one-pot one pan wonders are a mom’s dream come true.
    • Get all the simple delicious weeknight meal recipes in this post
• Back to School Readiness Week #7: School Ready
  • We talk final steps into the planning. Things you may have overlooked and missed.
    • Checklist printout included in this post
• Back to School Readiness: Conclusion
  • Here I share some tips and tricks to make the beginning and end of the school year special even if you can’t be there.
• SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL READINESS ARTICLE: The importance of staying on track with remote learning
  • This post is coming soon. I wanted to reach out to your parents on why even though remote learning is no walk in the park and our kids may be equally frustrated it is something WE HAVE TO DO.