Getting anxious about dc starting ps.

[Sue G in PA]

I know it's the right decision...for many reasons. Most of them are excited. It's all just feeling so overwhelming. I'll have 4 in school and 3 at home (a 6yo, 4yo and 1yo). Tell me it will be alright! Any tips on how to manage/organize everything and everyone to make this transition smoother? I'm worried about keeping track of homework, field trips, lunches, conferences, gym clothes, instruments if they play one, etc. AND, homeschooling the other 3. Any tips? Thanks.

[Mandamom]

It will be okay.

 

I homeschooled my oldest while I had one in school and other little ones at home.

 

My tips:

 

1) get your kids in school on a routine and as independent as possible.

 

Starting around 4-5 my kids are making their own lunches and continue to make their own lunches for school each morning. If they buy lunch they have money in their account so they aren't asking for money each day (usually I limit so they can only buy a certain amout each month). Let them have a place to keep their book bags and make sure they put their required papers/books away the night before and a certain time to do their homework. I let my kids run around after school but my dh has them do their homework first. Either way homework before screens.

 

2) Conferences and field trips are generally only a couple times per year and you just keep a calendar for them.

 

3) gym clothes and keeping track of instruments are the responsibility of my children.

 

4) toss completed school work as it comes in because otherwise it gets overwhelming. I just keep papers that get graded or and toss the rest. There is a lot of paper generated at school.

 

5) teach your olders to keep track of their own assignments with a planner. If they get a long term assignment (writing or other assignment) have them plan out each stage with due dates so that the project gets done. You'll also be teaching them a good skill.

 

6) homeschooling the youngers should be able to fit in within the time your others are at school and if it doesn't there is always Saturday and Sunday. I homeschooled grades 4-8 while my younger was in school and it worked very well. Since we followed the school calendar it was easy to make sure that we got at least the minimum done (usually a lot more than that) within that time frame.

 

Enjoy this time.

[Brooke3193]

I find that it takes a lot of time to send my kids to school. They have some special needs that requires me to spend a lot of time communicating with the school and providing accommodations. But, even without that factor, I think it takes a lot of time to keep track of papers, "make" them do homework, find clothes for all of those special spirit days, etc.

 

Tips? Not sure I have any except to take care of the paperwork as it comes in....pull the paper out, sign it, write the check, put it back in the backpack.

 

I made my kids list of what they need to do to get ready in the morning. I still helped them as needed, but a couple of times when I wasn't around, they were able to do 90% of it themselves (ages 5-7 at different times).

 

I guess my biggest "tip" would be to make sure they have a week's worth of clothes laid out and ready to go on Sundays. Things went a lot smoother when I was able to do that. It was even more helpful if there was a spirit day involved that required hunting down "special" clothes. (I'd estimate that my kids each had at least 30 special days with special instructions on what to wear...favorite book character, school colors, cowboy day, whatever.)

 

Oh, and I prepacked lunches as much as possible...buy a box of crackers and baggie it up all at once.

 

That's all I got.

[Caroline]

Here are some of my tips:

 

Check your kids bags as soon as they get home. Our schools give kids third grade an up a planner. Most teachers through eighth grade remind the students to write their homework in the planner. (Also, we are required to sign it to indicate that we check the planner. Notes from teachers are often in the planner.) I always check as soon as they get home so I don't forget later.

 

If they are going to be buying their lunch, just keep money in the account. Our schools use a service that emails me when the account gets low. Also, the school has to let them eat, so if a student forgets his lunch, there is a lunch available for him. You will be charged, though.

 

For field trips and special days, I have a calander on the fridge with all of those dates. The PTA has one with many of the dates already marked. It is a huge help to me. Since my kids are in three different schools, I transfer all the dates onto one calendar.

 

I always send back forms the next day. If I don't, I run the risk of forgetting. Here, students are not required to pay for field trips, although a 'donation' is strongly requested. If money is ever an issue, call the school and talk to the principal or another administrator. There are many families who pay extra for field trips for kids whose parents either cannot or will not pay for them. Also, the school has funds for these things.

 

All of our schools send out their information by email, although you can request paper copies if you want them. Get on the email list. I was also on the email list for the high school last year when my oldest was in eighth grade. I am still on the middle school list even though I have no kids there. Ilime to be informed.

 

I stay in touch by email with my kids' teachers. Some of the middle school teachers warn me when tests are, projects due, etc. by email.

 

I always make sure my kids have an extra book to read with them. They also take their SM with them. I don't want them bored.

 

Bags and lunches are packed the night before. Clothes are laid out the night before. My son plays the cello, so at school he uses the schiol's instrument, which means one less thing I have to worry about. Shoes are by the door the night before. Soccer practice clothes are ready the night before. We call it fireman ready.

 

My kids keep granola bars and a water bottle in their backpacks. Also in their backpacks is a list of phone numbers--home, mom and dad cells, mom and dad work, uncle's cell, and neighbor's home and cell.

 

It is all about routines and organization. You and your kids will be fine. The kids will do great.

 

Sorry this got so long.

[lgm]

I don't plan anything for the evening of the first few days of school (here we start Wed after Labor Day). Each child will be bringing home forms to be filled out, and I generally need to plan the time to do that on Night #1 as it's due back the next day. The second day of school is a middle school parent orientation...so I"m out for the evening there. The third day is Friday, hooray.

 

The school sends us a school calendar, so that's where I keep all the important school related dates and times.

 

Lunches..plan these before you go grocery shopping! Prepack what you can Sunday evening.

 

Send a water bottle in each child's backpack in addition to the lunch drink.

 

Each child should have a book with them that they can read when done with assignments.

 

Hw, gym clothes, and instrument are the child's responsibility. For us, it works better if hw is started 30 min after child comes home..that way I have time to check and reteach after dinner & no one is suprising me by requesting supplies that I don't have. Instrument practice daily signature needs a routine...I have child put the sig form on my desk when done practicing and I have the responsibility of signing and ensuring it's in the right backpack before I go to bed. Also w/instrument practice and multiple students, a schedule needs to be agreed on so one is not practicing while another is trying to study/complete hw/sleep. The half-hour an hour before dinner is practice time here, so the table setter and ass't cook can do their thing during the half hour before dinner.

[ack25]

DD will be starting an instrument this school year. I love the idea of the half hour before dinner as practice time. I also love the idea of ass't cook! I will be adopting that term for our family!

[EmilyK]

that I love all these back to school tips. I'm going to do several things differently from now on, whether it is school, camps, etc. So even though I wasn't the OP, I'm thankful I learned so much!

[Sue G in PA]

Thanks for all the great tips! Organization was never my strongpoint but I'm going to have to start.

[KNF-TX]

This will be the first year my kids will be in school, so I am also nervous and excited. We have already started doing a 20 min. tidy after dinner. One kid does the dishes and the rest of us fold laundry, vacuum, sweep, ect. I am not planning on becoming their maid just because they are in school. I hope we can keep this up.

 

Thanks for all the great ideas, and good luck to everyone as the school year begins.