Today is all about creating a command center for your kids.  We do not have a large desk or an office, so we need a mobile command center.  I decided this year to house all the essential items for homework and projects in one container.  Previously I had them on a shelf in a hallway closet. A sturdy cloth bin with handles sat unused in our playroom and was perfect for the job.  I collected all the tools we need during the school year.  I scrounged up a few random containers that were already in my house.  Small tin buckets from the dollar bin, mason jars, and a paper ice cream bowl left over from Little Man’s birthday party.

Our command center now houses pencils, sharpies, highlighters, crayons, markers, white boards, dry erase markers, scissors, hole punches, paint brushes, glue, construction paper [white and colored], and note cards.

I am certain that our new command center will make homework a pleasurable and enjoyable experience for all.  [Come on.  A girl can hope!  Anything is possible with a new school year.  I am determined to remain positive.]

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BACK TO SCHOOL: SHOPPING

BACK TO SCHOOL: LUNCH PREP

I am sharing a series this week to help ready your kids {and yourself} for school while maintaining your sanity.

Let’s do lunch. I have a couple of ideas to help get ready for eating lunch at school.  I won’t talk about what to pack for lunch because, in my opinion, that is an entirely different topic .  Today is about the art of eating lunch in a cafeteria.  To eat in a lunch room can be overwhelming.  The noise, the action, and major distractions are all obstacles to actually eating.  I truly believe that a little lunchtime practice sets kids up for success once they head to school.

First, how you pack is almost as important as what you pack.  There are usually very few adults in the cafeteria to help kids open items in their lunch.  It is essential they can do it on their own.  For young children, especially for Kindergarteners, I suggest packing a normal lunch-in their new lunch box- and having them practice opening all the containers and bags.

If you find your child has a hard time opening an item, consider packing it in a reusable plastic container, a reusable bag, or a ziplock bag.  They are much easier to open.  This will eliminate frustration, allow them to be independent at lunch, and getting them eating right away.

For all kids, it is good to set a timer and practice eating in the time allotted for lunch.  My boys have a 20 minute lunch {although by the time their class arrives in the cafeteria and finds a table it is most likely shorter}.  I have found that even 15 minutes is plenty of time – if they are actually eating.  Will your kids buy lunch at school?  Ask if the school has a mentor program for younger kids.  This will help them navigate the system and not feel overwhelmed.

P.S.  Once school starts, consider slipping in a treat on Fridays and a little lunch box love.

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BACK TO SCHOOL: shopping

In the Pacific Northwest we are sprinting toward the finish line of summer break.  For me, the goal is to enjoy the last bits of unstructured time before my role switches from entertainer to enforcer.  This week I am sharing a Back to School series, as I ready my kids {and myself} for school while maintaining my sanity!

First up, shopping.  I have always loved {LOVED} back to school shopping.  I have discovered, however, that my boys do not share this same passion.  After fighting it for several years, I have devised a plan that seems somewhat fool proof.  It’s simple, we don’t do it.   I purchase only a few items to start the year and then we purchase items as we need them.  My boys happen to always have growth spurts that don’t coincide with the beginning of school, so it seems silly to buy clothes they will out grow in just a few short months.

Our shopping list:

• 1.  One pair of jeans, preferably gray. {They rarely choose to wear them on their own accord [they prefer warm-ups], but jeans are their dress pants.}
• 2. One new t-shirt. {It warms my heart to see them head to school on the first day in a shirt without grease spots and popsicle stains.}
• 3.  New shoes.
• 4.  New socks and underwear

That’s it and we are already DONE! Well, Big W has also added a Gatorade water bottle onto his wish list, so I have one more purchase to make.

For those of you with fashion crazed girls, I sense there will be some push back. How about this?  Purchase ONE back-to-school outfit, including all essential accessories.  Then, when the weather begins to cool, make a date and go shopping. This way you can enjoy a short day of shopping prior to school,  you don’t have to say no to the all-important pair of sunglasses or earrings, and you get the rest done once the mania has subsided.

{Quicksilver Jeans, Gatorade water bottle, Junk Food vintage T, Chuck Taylor All Stars, Skylander briefs}