Rock the School Year!
For many of us, August is paved with good intentions. We resolve that this school year, we will be organized, patient, consistent and engaged. In August, we are rested. We have renewed our vows with parenthood, ready to be the best we can be.
Then, the alarms cut through the house on that first morning and everyone is jolted awake hours before their summertime wake-up call. There are fights over the bathroom, and someone can’t find his shoes. A phone falls into the toilet, and the dog throws up on the carpet. You squeal out of the driveway 10 minutes late, screaming at the kids to buckle up, and someone is crying. It might be you. You get to work feeling frazzled and guilty.
And then there are the evenings, when you are juggling practices and dinner and work schedules and bedtime routines and laundry. It doesn’t matter whether you have one kid or five—managing the school year is tough. But we are all in this together, so we want to help you rock this school year with a few tips to make life as the parent of school-age kids better.
GET UP EARLIER
Imagine if you were already showered, dressed and enjoying a cup of coffee by the time the kids got up. You would have time to French braid your daughter’s hair or help look for the missing shoes or talk about what’s coming up in the day. You could be engaged, not rushed. I know you are tired. The snooze button is so tempting. But the energy you will save from transforming chaotic mornings into peaceful, controlled ones will be more than enough to get you through the day—and your kids will be off to a great start.
THE FAMILY CALENDAR
I would venture to guess that most of us do some version of this. For me and my blended family of six, a family calendar is an absolute necessity, and I spend hours getting it set up before school begins. As soon as fall sports and activities schedules are available, I add the dates and times to our shared Google calendar. Next, I go to the school calendars and add all no school days, concerts, programs, parent nights and holiday breaks. Lastly, I add the parent stuff. When it’s finally finished, I consider my calendar a work of art. It is the nerve center of our family during the school year.
PLAN YOUR MEALS
Most families have at least a few evening commitments during the week that make family meals difficult to achieve. But with a little planning, you can make that essential quality time with your kids possible. Countless bloggers have free printables to help you get started on a system that fits your lifestyle. I use a template that includes space for the week’s grocery list. I also reuse my weekly menus, so after the initial time investment to determine recipes and shopping lists, it’s as easy as pulling out a premade menu for the week.
CROCKPOTS AND ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING
I must give a shout-out to my crockpot for filling my home with delicious smells and a dinner that is ready when I walk in the door. About once a week during the school year, our dinners are brought to us by the crockpot. Hy-Vee Aisles Online grocery shopping is another excellent resource for busy families. It’s affordable, convenient and basically life-changing. These two time-savers are the perfect pairing for your meal plan initiative.
ROUTINES
Kids thrive on routine. There is safety in predictability. There is comfort in knowing what the expectations are. Today’s kids tend to be heavily scheduled, and so it becomes imperative that their time be structured in a way that allows them to succeed. Whether it’s homework time, screen time, family time or bedtime, routines you create to fit the rhythms of your family will help everyone move through their tasks and responsibilities more easily.
I like what local author Kelly Wachel has to say in her book Parents and Schools Together: Blueprint for Success with Urban Youth: “The days of ‘It’s the school’s responsibility’ or ‘It’s the parents’ responsibility’ are over. Education is everyone’s responsibility. The two should be so interwined that they are indistinguishable.”
A great school year begins at home, and if we can provide our kids with an environment that nurtures their emotional, physical and intellectual needs, we are setting them up for educational success.
Erin Jones works at the Kansas City Art Institute and is also a freelance writer and professional photographer. She is working on her first book – part memoir and part single parenting survival guide.