Back to School for Moms
Back-to-school season has hit again, which means moms are back to going over school supply lists, shopping for school clothes and packing lunches. So much of the focus of back-to-school time is on the kids, but what about moms? This year don’t let yourself get bogged down with the back-to-school stress. Take some time to enjoy it.
Pamper Yourself
After a busy summer, get rejuvenated before the busy days of fall begin. Make an appointment for a massage, get your nails done or plan a “me” day without the kids. Let your other mom friends in on the fun and schedule a kid-free lunch date to recap your summer adventures. You deserve it, and once you’ve had time to relax, you will be ready and raring to check things off that long to-do list.
Kodi BeVelle, a home-schooling mother of three from Kansas City, MO, says she schedules time for herself every month. “About one Saturday morning a month I leave everyone at home to go drink coffee and read a book at a coffee shop,” she says. “I also really enjoy going to a movie by myself occasionally after the kids go to bed.”
Start the School Year in Style
The kids get a new back-to-school wardrobe every year. Why can’t Mom? When you’re out shopping for new sneakers, jeans and backpacks for the kids, buy something for yourself. Nothing will make you more excited to attend that long PTA meeting than a new fall outfit. Your new wardrobe might even make you want to sneak into some of those first-day-of-school photos with your kids!
Play Catch-Up
The kids are in school all day, which makes it the perfect time to catch up on those household chores. Deep clean the house, organize the closets, clean out your car, delete those hundreds of junk emails piling up in your inbox. You will even have time to document your summer fun by organizing all of your photos or creating special photo books.
Nap Time!
Before the kids get home from school, stay-at-home moms can sneak in a mid-afternoon nap. No one will have any idea you grabbed a few zzz’s before the school-goers get home, and you will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the kids and all of their after-school activities when they get off the bus.
Start the Year Organized
An organized back-to-school season makes for stress-free parents. Danielle Hewitt, a mother of two from St. Joseph, MO, says organization and a regular schedule are what make back-to-school time run smoothly in her house. “To stay organized I plan outfits for the week and put them in a designated place, have the kids pick breakfast the night before and lay out what is needed, get backpacks and coats ready to go the night before and make lunches then too,” she says. BeVelle says her best back-to-school organization tip is not waiting until the last minute. “I give myself the entire month before school starts to get everything prepared.”
Strict Schedule
Another perk of summer’s being over is your family will now have a strict schedule to abide by during the week. Hewitt says a constantly changing summer schedule can be stressful for moms. “Being a working mom, the summers are hard with all the transportation the kids need for sports and camps,” she says. Put your kids back on their school night schedule two weeks before classes begin. That includes setting an earlier bedtime and wake-up time and making sure they are getting up and ready for the day by the time they would be leaving for school. This will make the first week much more bearable for you and the kids!
Regan Lyons is a freelance writer who lives in Saint Joseph, MO, with her husband and 4-year-old daughter.