Summer is coming to an end and a new school year is beginning. This time of year always feels like a fresh start…to something! Schedules are changing, there are new people in our lives, new information is being learned, there are crisp no. 2 pencils, clean white paper, colorful perfect crayons … and the days are slowly becoming shorter. New beginnings make us feel good.  It’s a great time to re-organize the house. Little changes can make your days smoother and everyone can appreciate a day of ease!

Now is the time to purge outgrown clothing and either donate it or take it to consignment stores and let your kids choose new pieces for Fall with the credit! Either will teach them the importance of donating to needed charities or that clothing doesn’t have to be ‘new’ or ‘expensive’ to be valued.

Healthy brains need good fuel! Take time to go through your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Look at expiration dates – purge those that expired and re-organize by type of food. Knowing what you have will make choosing meals easier. Designate a ‘snack’ shelf for after-school bites. Choose healthy easy meals for breakfast, such as quick cooking oatmeal, fruits, or yogurts.

Mornings can be hectic! Have your kids pick out their outfits the night before and prepare their school bag too! Get them involved in choosing and making healthy lunches at night so they can grab and go on the way out the door! Use reusable lunch bags & containers rather than disposable plastics.

No parent enjoys nagging their kids about homework. Kids may delay their work or be easily distracted when they cannot find what they need. An accessible homework basket filled with all the things your kids need to complete their homework is key! Keep the basket in a central location where homework is done. No more excuses to get to it!

Summer is so hard to say goodbye to! Long nights, vacation memories, pool days and sleeping in! As fun as breaks are, it will be good to be back in routine too!

Happy Back to School!