Hey, y’all!!  Today, I am thinking about Back to School preparations and sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks!!   We’ve been getting three Dreffs kids ready for school for 11 years now, so we’ve learned a few things here and there along the way. 🙂

1. Start now! School starts in about two weeks for us, but I like to start nice and early!  If you start now, you can watch sales, not be rushed during the process, and have the best selection of items that you need to purchase!
2. Take Inventory of what you need, and make a list for each child! Now is the time to pull out the backpacks, lunch boxes, and take stock of your kids school clothes.  Make a detailed list of what each child needs, and mark things off as you get them!
3. Schedule Dental, Vision, and Physical Exams.  Doctors’ offices tend to get super busy the few weeks before school starts!
4. Get your paperwork in line.  Immunizations records, Proof of Residency, Birth Certificates, and more.  Pull all of that now, and put them somewhere safe but where you can access them easily!
5. School Supply Lists.  If your school offers back to school supply packages, then that is always nice!  If not, take your list to Target or Walmart early in the morning!  It won’t be too busy, and you will still have ALL of your patience to find the special brand of #2 pencils and the magenta folders with NO POCKETS and THREE  BRADS ONLY. 😉
6. Start a back to school tradition.  You can read a special book, add a charm to a special charm bracelet, pray, or bake something fun. The most important thing is to repeat your tradition every year!  What a fun way to celebrate the beginning of school over the course of their childhood!
7. Establish a routine and keep it!  Decide now…when is bedtime, when do the lunches get made?  When does homework get done?  Set up a routine to make your days run more smoothly!  It will make getting out the door, and the homework/dinner/sports crunch that much easier!

8. Command Center Do you have a family command center?  When we built our house, I had visions of a little nook area for backpacks, schedules, and such.This hallway leads to the garage. So, it’s the perfect spot!Voila: where the backpacks hang. 🙂 The drawer below the bench holds gloves, winter hats, and such. 🙂 And, our family calendar/chalkboard!   Our kids ask approximately 90 million questions each day and most of them can be answered here.   Our schedule, what’s for dinner, what day is it: just check the calendar and chalkboard. 🙂

9. Enjoy! Back to school preparations can be so exciting for kids!  Have your kids help write their list, and mark things off!  They only begin this school year once, so make it a fun experience for everyone!!

Happy Monday, y’all!! XOXO Narci