Nannies From The Heartland

Nannies from the Heartland Blog: Back-to-School Readiness Tips

&Nbsp;    Having a centralized calendar or organizer can help keep everyone on time and on task. It’s often not just school that is starting in the fall but sports and activities as well as curriculum nights and school open houses. Most of these may start before the first day of school. A visual reminder, the calendar also is a teachable tool for children.      Have a place for the weekly schedule, school lunch menus, notes from each classroom and all the other papers that come into the house helps keep everyone organized. A simple file system can work wonders for keeping track of items that need to be returned to school (permission slips, etc.) and items to have in case you need them (school directory, class information, etc.). If you have several students in your home color coding the files can be very helpful.      I liked to have a colored plastic envelope for each child where we kept documents that didn’t need our immediate attention. A red folder held those items that needed to be signed and returned to school or items that needed to be added to the calendar. Each day a quick look in the red folder let me know what needed immediate action. If you children have school supplies left from last year check to see what's there and can be used this year before heading out the door. Don't forget the school list when you go. Some stores have lists of local schools on site you can't always count on this. Also consider buying bulk items - pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, etc. - to have on hand throughout the year. Take advantage of sales now for items. We knew that poster board, presentation boards and craft supplies would be needed and prices were often lower during the back to school sale - we'd stock up. The first day of school is not the time to adjust the family's schedule. Start doing this a few days to several weeks ahead of that first day. This is especially true for children who have a challenge getting up early. This also allows for meal times to be adjusted accordingly. It takes time for the body to get in the swing of things so to avoid stressing everyone out give yourself that time to get back into the rhythm of the school year. Nannies from the Heartland has been in business since 1990. For information about our services please visit www.nanniesheartland.com. Mary, Becky and Kelly are experts in recruiting, screening, and qualifying applicants and families.

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