Back to School 411: Food for Thought, Ensuring a Successful Start

0

The back to school bell will be ringing soon…

Are you ready?

Time to kick it into high gear and save with these quick tips…

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

Plan to get involved and stayed informed about your child’s educational career. “Broward County Public Schools fosters collective participation with our parent and business communities to create irreplaceable relationships necessary for our students to thrive in the educational arena.”

Get Involved: Parents and business owners Broward County wants you!

Note if your kid is in a public or magnet school, you will have to fill out a volunteer application which can take several weeks to get back. DO NOT WAIT, get started now or you cannot help in your child’s school. If you are new to the county or have not done the background check in Broward, it will take a bit longer, so don’t delay! 

 

SAFETY:

Go over safety tips for transportation whether they with be using bus, bike or riding – discuss safety to and from school. Watch an internet safety video (make sure age-appropriate).

Going one step further…

Do you have a safe word? Establish a SAFE WORD with your kids that only you and your child know. In an emergency, it’s important for them to know how to handle situations, use of a safe word and having a plan for the “what if’s” is ideal.

Back to School Safety TIPS

6 Rules for School Safety

Talk about bullying and how to handle it and when to speak up. “American Girls” has a good set of books on this. There’re a lot of books at the public library as well. 

 

SUPPLIES:

Bag check, school supplies check, and the LIST. Yes, we know it just gets bigger and bigger each year. For the younger ones, it gets a little harder and with the middle and high school kids you have to meet the teachers first, and then you get several lists. If your school is on a block schedule, we suggest investing in two backpacks. The days of lockers are gone for most and two backpacks are the way to go these days. JanSport is one of the better brands as they come with a lifetime warranty.

Know before you buy:

Top Kids Backpacks

Reviewed: 20 Best Backpacks of 2019

10 Best Laptop Backpacks

 

HOMEWORK:

Pick up a few extra supplies when it goes on sale at Staples or Office Depot. I always have a go-bag which includes: crayons, color pencils paper, etc. in the car. A go-bag comes in handy for the doctor, dentist appt, or at the field or gym. This enables homework to be done anywhere, just get an extra lapboard and your set. The dollar store has handy containers; you can hold a snack on the go or to save your car.

 

NUTRITION:

Do a few easy prep freezer meals for the first week, it will help double up, so you’ll cut prep time. Buy the big bags of snacks and use zip locks or reusable containers. Don’t forget about lunch. Will your kid buy lunch or take it? A sample menu can be found on the school website as well including direction on how to load money into their account.

Stumped by packing school lunches? Healthy, quick, easy…decisions, decisions. Let’s ease the pain of the school lunch dilemma. 

19 Back-to-School Lunches that are Good For You!

If you want to go green, get a reusable water bottle from sand cloud or a sustainable company. 

Here’s a list to the 10 best water bottles.

 

GET CRAFTY:

Make a teacher gift(s) for open house and have your kid give it to them. It’s a great icebreaker in a new school or class. For example, store-bought individual strawberry candy in a mason jar with a label “Here’s to a Berry Good Year”.

Don’t forget the first day of school signs. You can print from home or have custom ordered from Etsy look on Pinterest for ideas.

First Day of School Signs by GRADE, you’re welcome!

 

GETTING BACK INTO THE GROOVE…START NOW!

  • Have your kids wake up and go to bed the week before school starts at the same time as the school year. Adjusting now will give them a great start on the right foot for the new school year. 
  • Have all the clothes for the first-week prepped and put stickers on them, Monday, Tues…etc. Check all dress codes and make sure you comply.
  • Take whatever essential supplies with you to open house, so the kids don’t kill their backs trying to take it in the first day. Most school supply list can be found on the school website.

 

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES & CARE?

Find out what after-school activity, your kid might want to take, e.g., chorus, band, eco patrol, chess club. Check the school website, they will have the parameters like grades, how to get started and how often they meet.

Do you need aftercare? Check the school they will be attending first or try the local area, don’t wait until the last minute, they do fill up quickly!

We hope these tips, tricks, recipes, and reviews will get you and your kiddos off to a great start for the school year!

Have a Scholastic Year Everyone!

Previous articleThe Battle of the SAHM vs. Working Mom
Next articleMissed a spot: Wait I’m still PREGNANT!
sarana
Sarana Minick was born in Trinidad and now lives in Pembroke Pines. She is a stay-at-home mom to three very active kids, two girls eleven and ten and one baby boy who is nine. She is a proud military wife and self-proclaimed volunteer junkie. Her kids are very involved in competitive cheerleading and recreational soccer, and both girl and boy scouts. They love traveling, saving money, camping and glitter! It takes all kinds of teachers, family, and friends to help shape our kid’s; so welcome to our journey and let’s help each other along the way!”