No need to get in a frenzy with preparations for Back to School. In fact, this back to school business can be great fun if you have a set of traditions for getting ready each year. It can be as easy as 3 simple steps that become your back to school traditions.
1. Sort out old clothes and supplies from last year.
You want to do this before you go back to school or even the first day of summer. Dispose of items that won’t make it into next year’s wardrobe or back pack. Go through every item in your drawers and closets. Plan a day, early on a Saturday morning or late on a Friday night. Add music and watch an impromptu fashion show break out. Before you know it, you will have a pile of clothes to donate, a pile of clothes to wash and maybe hours of giggles to remember.
Don’t forget to attack and match the enormous pile of widowed socks from wherever you keep them.
Make the Big Clearance Day a back to school tradition. Have your day in July or August and include a yard sale for your reusable items. Donate everything that does not sell. Think about posting the really good stuff online. Here are 101 places to donate your reusable goods:
2. Plan out your essential purchases for the new year.
Make a list of what new supplies and clothes will be essential for the first 3 months of the year. With the change of seasons from fall to winter, other items may need to be added in October or November. Just start with the basic essentials.
This tradition teaches your student how to shop and save. Discuss in advance the total budget and stick to it. Decide in advance what items are essential,
As it is age appropriate, let the student decide on their attire. Just keep the clothes and the kid clean. Back to school shopping is another tradition that creates a fun memory and a great learning experience.
Find high end labels at low end prices by shopping resale stores. Goodwill has opened a brand new store in Denver at the Stapleton Center, where Bed, Bath and Beyond used to be located.
When you find an ARC, DAV or Goodwill store, take a hint” The better the neighborhood, the better the selection.
Sometimes merchants and churches will give away back packs, clothes and school supplies to the needy before school begins. Check out your local organizations. This article below shows some big name companies who have donated supplies before.
3. Start going to bed at a reasonable time to train yourself to get up early.
If you have been up on the computer all night, talking on the telephone past midnight and generally not getting to bed before 2am, those days are done.
Students and parents alike often change their sleep habits in the summer. Do yourself a favor and give yourself a few days to reset the mental time clock to early to bed and early to rise.
That’s it. These are the three basic traditions to get ready for back to school. Make it a fun time with familiar traditions that create memories for a lifetime.
Here are some more ideas from School Family.com
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